How do I add a PATH that STICKS in Debian?
 

I've already got in my /etc/profile:

# /etc/profile: system-wide .profile file for the Bourne shell (sh(1))
# and Bourne compatible shells (bash(1), ksh(1), ash(1), ...).

if [ "`id -u`" -eq 0 ]; then
PATH="/usr/java/jdk1.5.0_11/bin:/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin"
else
PATH="/usr/java/jdk1.5.0_11/bin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/games"

fi

if [ "$PS1" ]; then
if [ "$BASH" ]; then
PS1='\u@\h:\w\$ '
else
if [ "`id -u`" -eq 0 ]; then
PS1='# '
else
PS1='$ '
fi
fi
fi

export PATH

umask 022

JAVA_HOME=/usr/java/jdk1.5.0_11/
export JAVA_HOME


But the JAVA vars don't appear in "env". Why?

It doesn't appear in which case?

If you open an xterm AS USER, it works. You're not supposed to work as root anyway.

man bash part INVOCATION

who said anything about working as root?
 

If I said or implied it, I didn't intend to. If I open "konsole" or "kate", as myself, and type "env" at the command prompt I get a path without the java directory.

For the root stuff, it's only a bad habit that is good to not take. And using root in general doesn't help.

Okay
Profile file is read WHEN you logging only, it is not executed again.
So I guess you just made the change and you need to restart your WM.

If you don't want to restart your WM, you have to execute profile in the current shell:
source /etc/profile

Again, my best advice would really be that you read
man bash , Part invocation
also
search for "source" in the manpage

Using man and searching:

man bash
type /
type what you look for, example INVOCATION
type enter
type n for next occurence
type ? to invert direction of searching and then n for going up
type / again to go forward again
type q to quit