"You're a Champion - Now get out there and Run!"

10,000 runners begin the Istanbul Marathon

(A true story)
A young boy loved to run. Ari lived in a secluded area of the USA. One day he ran through the woods and found lots of boys running around a track. This was the first time he saw organized running and he loved it! The coach called him over, "I think you have potential to be a champion. Let me coach you."

Through middle school and then grades 9 and 10 he competed locally, always winning his school races. When he was taken to a Divisional Meet, Ari saw the much larger boys and heard their gruff voices. "We're going to leave you in the dust!" "No way! Look how small he is!"

Fearful of being shamed publicly he hid behind the bleachers and came out at the end of the race. "You didn't want to run that race, did you?" asked his coach. "Yes..." "No, you  didn't, why?"

"Because I was afraid of them. They're so much bigger."

"Nonsense! Look at the statistics. You run the 100, 200, 400, 800 and even the mile in better time than they do. You are a champion. Now, two months from now there's another track and field meet. Get out there and do what you are supposed to do!"

Ari raced the next time and won against the larger, heavier guys. He was a born runner.

In 1981, Ari Sorko-Ram founded Maoz Israel Ministries with his wife, Shira, a ministry in Israel that is a catalyst and vehicle for evangelism, training, translating, publishing, economic and disaster relief. It established and underwrites a Hebrew indigenous congregation in Tel Aviv. He was instrumental in the initiation of the modern Messianic Synagogue movement. Ari Sorko-Ram established on He chose 'to run the course' in Tel Aviv, using the same wisdom his coach gave many years ago. The congregation has brought many Jews to know the Jewish Messiah and the outreach of this congregation goes  far and wide, including poor Jews who need financial help to begin their own businesses, helping widows and orphans.

Today the Jewish Messianic movement is growing rapidly. (We'll write more on this later.) He often recalls that simple wisdom. "You' are a champion, no matter what others think! Now, get out on the track and run, like you are supposed to."