Truth, Trust, and Transformation: Errol Gerson’s Spiritual Journey

In this episode, Rabbi Mendy sits down with Errol Gerson, who (on the day of recording!) turns 81, to share a story of pain, resilience, and a powerful return to Jewish life.Errol was born in South Africa and endured deep childhood trauma—abandonment, abuse, and years inside a so-called Orthodox institution that harmed the very children it claimed to protect. And yet, somehow, he never learned to hate. Instead, he carried a quiet inner knowing that Hashem was real—and that warmth he felt in shul meant something.Errol’s journey winds through hardship, immigration to America with $300 and no plan B, homelessness, unexpected kindness, and the slow reawakening of Yiddishkeit. Along the way he discovers a core idea that becomes the cornerstone of his life: transformation—through truth, vulnerability, and gratitude.This conversation touches on:Childhood trauma and the choice not to hateThe long road back to Judaism and HashemTeshuva as “return,” not just apologyGratitude (Moda Ani) as a daily spiritual engineBitachon (trust) and reframing the pastHow one small practice can change a marriage—and a lifeErrol’s closing message is simple and piercing: Don’t wait until you’re 81 to realize Hashem loves you and wants what’s best for you… the question is, what are you going to do about it?