The Stone That Traveled Through Time: A Story of Two Earthquakes

By: Mauricio Gerson

“This story is a powerful testament to the resilience of family and the mysterious ways history can come full circle.”

September 19 is a date etched into the soul of Mexico City. For many, it represents tragedy, but for my family, it is a date that defines a miracle spanning over three decades.

1985: A Voice from the Rubble

In 1985, I was working for New Jersey Network which included four PBS stations covering New York City and the northeast corridor. When the news broke of a devastating 8.0 earthquake in Mexico City, I was assigned to cover it. I couldn’t reach my family; the lines were dead. Desperate, we went to Princeton University to use their shortwave radio. After two failed attempts, the third call was crystal clear.

“Yes… Mauri!” a voice answered.

It was my cousin’s husband, Samy. While the cameras rolled, he told me the family was safe, but my cousin Jimmy—a young medical resident—was trapped in the collapsed General Hospital. Jimmy wasn’t just surviving; he was digging a tunnel to save his patients.

2017: History Repeats Itself

Thirty-two years later, to the day and hour, another devastating quake struck. This time, it hit the Kehila building at Acapulco #70—the home of the Shul named after my grandfather, Abraham Gerson, and the place of my Bar Mitzvah. The building had to be demolished.

2022: The 70 Stones

To preserve the history of the building, the community launched an art project: 70 stones for 70 artists. When I received the list of artworks, my heart stopped at Stone #2. It was a painting of my grandfather’s face. The artist? Dr. Jimmy Belkind-Gerson. The same cousin I had worried for over the radio in 1985 had painted our grandfather on a stone from the building where our family’s legacy began. He titled it “His Great Illusion.” Today, that piece of marble sits on my desk in Florida. It is more than just a stone; it is a reminder that even when buildings fall, the ties that bind us—family, memory, and heritage—can never be broken.

I came across the Stone Project through my niece, Erika Fainsilber, the daughter of my dear cousins, Jacqueline Gerson and Salomón Fainsilber who was in the organizing team. Erika reached out to me and shared the project with me. I was delighted, but I had no idea that her own cousin, Jimmy Belkind-Gerson, would be the artist and author of my grandfather’s stone. When I shared this news with Erika and Jackie, they both exclaimed, “The Stone is Yours.” 

Some stories take 32 years to finish. From a frantic shortwave radio call in 1985 to an art project born from the ruins of 2017, this journey led me back to my grandfather, Abraham Gerson. Today, this stone painted by my cousin Dr. Jimmy Belkind-Gerson sits on my desk—a reminder that even when buildings fall, our stories remain. #FamilyLegacy #MexicoCity #Resilience #September19 #MauricioGerson