The Yom Kippur War Miracle

It was Yom Kippur day October 6, 1973, and I was on my way to the municipal synagogue in Herzliya, Israel when I noticed the buzz of small private planes flying over my head. This was very strange as no one drove on this most sacred

day of the year in Israel let alone flew their plane. The streets were completely void of traffic as is the case on every Yom Kippur. Nevertheless, small private planes were flying over my head. I continued on to the synagogue and took my place in the pews with the other worshipers. I had hardly settled into my seat when the sirens went off. I turned to the man standing beside me, Itzak Cole the head of Herzliya Film Studios where I used to work developing film, and asked “Is this a test or is it war?” Surprisingly no one seemed to have taken much notice of the sirens, not uncommon in a country where war was an almost daily event. Even the cantor who was leading the service had gone back to his chanting after a brief pause. “It’s war!” said Izak with a sardonic smiled. At that I leaped from my seat and headed home.