Hershkowitz, Vic

Victor Hershkowitz

Hershkowitz is one of the greatest handball players of all time. During his illustrious career, Vic won 40 national and international titles and his feat of nine straight three-wall national titles remains unequaled to this day. Fellow Jewish handball legend Jimmy Jacobs called Vic "the Babe Ruth of handball." In 1968, U.S. Handball Association wrote, "As the immortals are recorded in the heroics of handball, the towering figure of Victor Hershkowitz will stand apart and above all...."

A handball official once commented on Hershkowitz's success by saying, "Vic has terrific reflexes and anticipation. He knows what an opponent will do even before the player knows himself. He also has that certain something that is far above an ordinary player. He is colorful, graceful, has legs like springs, and hooks with either hand. He would be a terrific athlete in any game."

Birth and Death Dates:
b. Oct. 5, 1918

Career Highlights:
Hershkowitz, who grew up in Brooklyn, began playing handball as a youngster because, as he explained, "I lived in a very poor section in Brooklyn and we couldn't afford any sports equipment. I began playing in the playgrounds and at the beaches." Vic attended East District High School (he is a member of the PSAL Hall of Fame), although he said "I never made the team in high school. They finished second in the city championship the year before I tried out and they didn't want to break up a winning combination...the fellows on the team never amounted to much in handball afterwards, although one of them made it big in another sport. His name was Red Auerbach [Hall of Fame coach of the Boston Celtics in the 1950s and 1960s]..."

Hershkowitz, who worked as a postman, fireman, and salesman, won his first national title in 1942 at the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) one-wall doubles championship with Moe Orenstein. He then proceeded to dominate the singles event as a professional. In 1947, Hershkowitz won his first singles title, capturing the AAU singles one-wall championship. Over the next decade, he won that title four more times and captured the U.S. National three-wall championship in nine straight years (1950-1958) before finally being supplanted by Jimmy Jacobs. Vic also won the four-wall championship in 1949, 1952, and 1954.

Hershkowitz won a national title in at least one event every single year from 1947-1958 and again between 1960-1967. His crowning achievement occurred in 1952, when he won the U.S. national "Grand Slam." That year, Vic won the USHA (United States Handball Association) one-wall, three-wall and four-wall titles. He is a member of the USHA Hall of Fame and the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame (in Commack, New York).

Origin:
Brooklyn, New York

Physical description:
5'8", 175-pounds

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