UH center Shimonovich returns from Israel
By Dayton Morinaga
Advertiser Staff Writer
Every morning, Haim Shimonovich reads the newspaper and crosses his fingers.
Advertiser library photo • Feb. 28, 2002
It has nothing to do with the University of Hawai'i men's basketball team, for which he is the starting center.
Haim Shimonovich recently returned from his hometown of Rishon LeZion, Israel.
"I want to read the paper to find out what's going on," he said. "But at the same time, I am hoping that I don't read anything bad happening back home."
For Shimonovich, home is Rishon LeZion, Israel.
Terrorist bombings have become almost a weekly occurrence in Israel as part of the ongoing war between Israelis and Palestinians.
"Life is not easy there," he said.
Shimonovich recently returned to UH after a six-week stay with his parents in Israel.
"When you go out to the shopping mall, it is always in the back of your mind," he said. "There are security guards almost everywhere you go. But you're always looking around for somebody suspicious."
Shimonovich said most of the bombs exploded in areas far from his home city. However, one bomb that killed 17 people exploded just one mile from his parents' home in May.
"No matter where you live, it's hard to relax," he said. "It's just a situation you have to deal with."
Still, Shimonovich said he did not let the Palestinian terrorists alter his lifestyle. While staying with his parents, Shimonovich said he made daily trips to the gym, where he lifted weights and shot baskets in preparation for the upcoming season.
"It's still home to me," he said. "In some ways, the media makes the issue worse than it is. It's not like every street is getting bombed every day. People still live like normal people over there."
When asked if anybody he knew was killed during a bombing, Shimonovich knocked on a wooden railing and said: "No, not so far."
Shimonovich served three years in the Israeli army after high school, but never experienced actual combat. When asked about his stance on the war, he said: "I think the Israelis should fight terror, but it's a question I don't like to get into."
If anything, it makes Shimonovich appreciate his lifestyle in Hawai'i.
"I know there are Arab Palestinians in Hawai'i," he said. "But it's so peaceful here. There is no comparison between here and Israel."
Shimonovich, a 6-foot-10 junior, said he returned to Hawai'i early to continue working on his basketball skills. He is playing in the NCAA Summer League, and spends most of his weekday afternoons lifting weights or shooting baskets.
"I'm doing whatever I can to get better," said Shimonovich, who averaged 7.1 points and a team-high 6.6 rebounds while starting every game last season.
• Newlyweds: UH senior point guard Mark Campbell also returned to Honolulu recently from his hometown of Mt. Vernon, Wash.
Joining him was his new wife. Campbell and Ashley Smith were married earlier this summer.
• Summer league restarts: After a three-week break, the NCAA Summer League is scheduled to resume games on Saturday at Kaimuki High gym. The league was on hiatus while the court at Kaimuki was being resurfaced.
