What was going on when I was born?

One recent afternoon, shortly before sunset, long whistle blasts sounded across Israel to mark the beginning of the most solemn day in the Jewish calendar - Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. For twenty-five hours, no car moved. Television and radio stations went off the air. Whole cities fell silent. Each family's world shrank to the dimensions of walking distance. The empty streets turned into sunny promenades for neatly dressed children and parents and grandparents, many with prayer books under their arms, strolling to and from parks and synagogues. It seemed on the surface that all the Jews of Israel had come together in a moment of religious unity. But that was just on the surface. For if one could have looked into homes, the variety and clash of religious attitudes and practices would have come dramatically into view. Some Jews were fasting, as religious law prescribes on this day. Others were eating and drinking normally, some even festively. Some prayed; others did not. And there, along those differences of private belief, ran one of the most severe fault lines of Israeli society today.

International Poland faces a national disaster, the Government said as it demanded that the Solidarity union call off a one-hour general strike set for Wednesday. The Government warned in a communique that a nationwide walkout would ''destroy the economy and the possibility of an agreement'' with the independent union. It said it ''demands the strike be stopped in the name of saving society from its disastrous effects.'' (Page A1, Column 6.) Greece will not unilaterally withdraw from the Atlantic alliance nor cancel American bases in Greece, its new Prime Minister, Andreas Papandreou, said in an American television interview. Both moves were part of the platform of Mr. Papandreou's Socialists. He said, ''We have no desire to take our country into any adventure.'' He added that his Government would be ready to resume negotiations with the United States on the American bases early next year, and indicated that he wanted to bargain on terms that would permit the bases to remain in Greece. (A1:5.)

The Los Angeles Dodgers continued their remarkable revival today when they defeated the New York Yankees, 2-1, for their third straight victory of the 78th World Series. They did it behind the five-hit pitching of Jerry Reuss, and a sudden spasm of home-run hitting against Ron Guidry, the ace of the Yankee staff. With one out in the seventh inning, Guidry was pitching a two-hitter and leading by 1-0. Then Pedro Guerrero and Steve Yeager hit successive home runs, and the Dodgers swept into the lead. The Dodgers, who had rallied to win the Western Division title and then the National League pennant, took the lead in the Series for the first time, three games to two. One more victory and they will win the championship, but they will have to win it in Yankee Stadium, where they lost the first two games before reviving at home.

High interest rates during the third quarter continued to depress earnings of a number of the nation's 15 largest bank holding companies, although several showed relatively strong results. Two California-based banks headed the list in profitability, as measured by rates of return on average total assets. The Security Pacific Corporation ranked No. 1 with a 69-cent return, at an annual rate, on each $100 of average assets. The First Interstate Bancorporation was second with 68 cents.

Investigators have tentatively identified three new suspects wanted in connection with the $1.6 million Brink's robbery last Tuesday that resulted in the deaths of two police officers and an armored-car guard in Rockland County. Robert Schnakenberg, chief of the Clarkstown Police Department in Rockland, said that he expected that the identifications would be confirmed within the next day or two when the results of fingerprint, hair and fiber examinations become known. ''The identifications are not completely 100 percent at the present time,'' he said. ''Within the next day or two we will have good identification, from evidence and witnesses, everything tied together.'' But the Rockland County District Attorney, Kenneth Gribetz, said last night that no new arrest warrants would be issued until the case was presented to a grand jury during the next few weeks, in order to protect the 50 witnesses who have come forward.

Because of an editing error, an article in Business Day Friday incorrectly attributed a position to the Interior De- partment on the question of reci- procity in the granting of mineral rights to Kuwait. Before granting leas- ing privileges on Federal lands, In- terior by statute must determine whether ''similar or like'' privileges are granted to Americans in Kuwait. The department has not yet issued its finding on the matter.

WARSAW DEMANDS SOLIDARITY CANCEL GENERAL WALKOUT WARSAW, Oct. 25 (By United Press International) - The Government, citing what it called an impending national disaster, demanded today that the Solidarity trade union call off a one-hour nationwide walkout called for Wednesday to protest food shortages. In a communique issued late last night, an official English translation of which was made available today, the Government warned that a nationwide strike would ''destroy the economy and the possibility of an agreement'' with the union. The Government said it ''demands the strike be stopped in the name of saving society from its disastrous effects.'' Minister of Administration Tadeusz Hupalowski announced over Polish television that troop deployments ordered by the Government Friday to put down ''street provocations'' and safeguard food distribution and transportation would begin tomorrow.

George Steinbrenner, the Yankees' principal owner and principal igniter of Yankee winning streaks, says he has addressed his team for the last time this year. ''I'm through,'' said Steinbrenner, who spoke to his players before today's fifth game of the World Series. ''I've said all I'm going to say. They understand what they have to do. I don't think they want to be an embarrassment to New York. That's why I'm so cocky and sure we're going to win. But some guys are going to have to start doing it instead of talking about it.''

Greece's new Socialist Prime Minister said today that despite his party platform his Government would not move on its own to end Greece's participation in NATO or close American military bases in Greece. ''We have no desire to take our country into any adventure,'' Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou said. He said his Government would be ready to resume negotiations with the United States on the American bases early next year. His comments suggested that he wanted to bargain over the terms for continuing the United States presence rather than insist on an American withdrawal.

Alarmed by the swelling tide of consumer bankruptcies, the credit industry is lobbying heavily for Congress to repeal most of the liberalized bankruptcy laws passed three years ago. Consumer advocates, equally alarmed by the prospect of success for the industry's campaign, contend that the depressed economy and the greater availability of credit, not the Federal laws, are responsible for the increase in bankruptcy cases. They also say that the industry's proposals, incorporated in a House bill last week, would essentially convert bankruptcy courts into bill-collecting agencies and would condemn some poor people to involuntary servitude. The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Commercial Law and Monopolies is already holding hearings on the proposals. On Thursday the Senate Subcommittee on Courts will begin its hearings on proposed amendments to the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978.

The Treasury's heavy borrowing needs have been a key ingredient in the behavior of the credit markets all year and may have even a larger impact after Wednesday, when the Government announces its financing plans for the rest of the year. At a time when investors are reluctant to buy long-term bonds, many expect that the next increase in Treasury borrowing will force yields to new highs, just as occurred in the May and August financings. Concerns about inflation and the economy take a back seat in the minds of dealers and investors when they are faced with the prospect of absorbing at least $25 billion of new Treasury debt between now and the end of the year. 'Pressures Continue Intense' ''Despite seemingly stratospheric yield levels and the quickening recession, borrowing pressures continue intense while retail investors are virtually shunning longer-term maturities,'' Phillip Braverman, an economist at the Chase Manhattan Bank wrote in last Friday's issue of its Money Market Report.

An article Wednesday on intelligence oversight incorrectly described the activity of H. Ross Perot, chairman of Electronic Data Systems, regarding hostages in Iran. In February 1979 Mr. Perot said he had financed an assault by Iranians on a Teheran prison that led to the freeing of two of his company's employees.