12 Friday, December 20, 1985 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS LOCAL NEWS WATER HERZ INTERIORS N 1 P I LICIU SALE Messiah Theories Abound, Rabbi Tells Audience BY SHARON PLOTNICK Special to The Jewish News We are moving to a new location. Our entire inventory must be sold by January 4th. Everything 30% to 70% off This is a once-in-a-lifetime special sale of all Designer Merchandise including: Unique, one-of-a-kind decorative accessory pieces, decorative lamps, unusual tables, many types of beautiful chairs, wall units and much more. CASH • MASTERCARD • VISA ACCEPTED • ALL SALES FINAL NO LAYAWAYS • SUBJECT TO PRIOR SALE HOURS OF THIS SPECIAL SALE: Monday through Saturday, 9 to 5 Sunday, December 29, 12 to 5 WALTER HERZ INTERIORS 29425 Northwestern Hwy., N. of 12 Mile Rd. Southfield 353-4150 Rabbi Harlow with the new prayer book he edited. Although Jews consider the Messiah a human agent rather than a divine one, they are still "prisoners of hope" when it comes to theories about the Messiah's eventual appearance, according to Rabbi Jules Har- low. Harlow, whose High Holiday prayer book has been a staple at Conservative synagogues since 1972, spoke about the Messiah earlier this month at Adat Shalom Synagogue in Far- mington Hills. One theory, the rabbi said, claims that the Messiah will come only when he is no longer necessary, when man is right- eous enough to deserve him. Another theory says that the Messiah will come out of total goodness or out of total chaos and that God in his own good time will send the Messiah. If this is so, then why does human behavior matter? The answer, according to Rabbi Harlow, is that good behavior will hasten the event. The rabbi feels there is a uni- versalistic sense of the messiah. When the Messianic day does come, there will be a change in the heart of man and an end to hatred. Those attending the program had their own views on waiting for the Messiah. "Everyone can only act oti their own behalf," Willard ROen said. "In my own lifetime I never expect to see the Messiah the way the world is today." Another member of the audi- ence, a Holocaust survivor, said "The concept of the Messiah is uplifting and it instills meaning to life. I come to my Jewishness by choice. Whatever I can do to reinforce Jewishness for myself and my children is very impor- tant to me." Rabbi Harlow is director of publications for the Rabbinical Assembly and served as editor of the new Siddur Sim Shalom, the new Conservative prayer book. The new Siddur incorporates the Holocaust and the modern state of Israel into the prayers and deletes ancient phraseology in favor of more up-to-date lan- guage. Rabbi Harlow, a native of Sioux City, Iowa, is a graduate of Morningside College in Sioux City. He was ordained at the Jewish Theological Seminary. Kach Campaign New York — The national coordinator of Rabbi Meir Kahane's Kach 'party claims that Kach representatives will start a national U.S. campaign to force local rabbis to "vote" on whether they favor Israel as a Western democracy or as a Jewish state. Kenneth Sidman told a Bos- ton radio interviewer that Kach representatives will stand in front of synagogues on Sunday mornings and distribute letters to congregants and parents of Sunday school children, telling them -how their rabbi voted.