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CHICAGO — In a speech that was the centerpiece of the North American Jewish federation system's gathering in Chicago this week, Israel's prime minister recalled being a small child when he heard of the United Nations' 1947 vote to partition Palestine.

That period — when the Jews' willingness to split the land was rebuffed by Arabs, precipitating Israel's difficult, but triumphant War of Independence — parallels the situation of the Jewish state today, said Ehud Barak.

Again, he told more than 4,000 flag-waving Jews on Monday at a rally intended to show solidarity for the embattled state, Israel feels its efforts at compromise have been rebuffed and that it may face another war.

It was against this backdrop — and perhaps because of it — that this year's General Assembly drew 4,500 participants, the first sell-out in recent memory, said organizers with United Jewish Communities.

Counting Monday's demonstration, unprecedented security measures, roughly 100 Arabs protesting outside and a bevy of Israel-related programming, this week's gathering of Jewish leaders from around North America was not a typical G.A., as the gathering is commonly known.

Amid intense fighting between Israel and the Palestinians — and concurrent attacks directed against Jews and Jewish institutions around the world — there was heightened security clearly intended as a precaution against terrorist action directed toward Israel's top leaders and a major Jewish conference.

But despite the threat of war facing Israel, Barak's message to North American Jewry was one of peace and solidarity.

Israel must be "liberated from the crushing burden of never-ending war," said Barak, whose speech was preceded by a multiracial Israeli youth choir that sang folk songs about peace.

"We derive great strength from knowing that we in Israel are not alone," he said

Despite his repeated message that there is no alternative to peace, Barak also squarely blamed the Palestinians for the violence and outlined several conditions — including a "Jerusalem broader than it has ever been in history" — for a peace agreement.

A speech early Tuesday morning by opposition leader Ariel Sharon had a somewhat different tone.

He outlined his own plan for peace, but without mentioning Barak's name, criticized the prime minister for asking President Clinton during their meeting on Sunday to help bring about a reduction, rather than a cessation, in violence.

After years in which the G.A. had been dominated by debates about religious pluralism and hammering out details of the newly formed United Jewish Communities, issues of Jewish solidarity and Israel ruled the day.

The UJC, formed by a merger of the Council of Jewish Federations, the United Jewish Appeal and the United Israel Appeal, is the Jewish community's central fund-raising and social service system.

In speech after speech, Israeli leaders spoke gratefully of American Jews as partners and family members, thanked them for the solidarity missions they have been organizing since the violence broke out in late September, urged them to defend Israel in the media and asked them to visit Israel.

Most participants said they were not only pleased to have the opportunity to learn about Israel, but also relieved to see Jews — at least temporarily — unified.

The focus on solidarity came "at a time when maybe we'd have been discussing the different factions of the community," said Jennifer Levine, president of the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago's Young Leadership Division.

But despite Israel's starring role, it did not — as some had initially feared — crowd out all other issues.

For the first time, the Jewish Outreach Institute sponsored several sessions — many well-attended — on outreach to interfaith families. There were also sessions on Jewish education.

With so much uncertainty as to how things will shake out in Israel, few participants could say whether the renewed intensity of the relationship between North American Jewry and Israel portends a lasting shift or simply a temporary response to a crisis.