Uploaded July 2020 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Moses calls him "small but very tough ... he never gives up. He's been vilified, he's been physically threatened, he's been charged, he's been tried ... but after you've survived Auschwitz, what can they really do to you?" Henry Morgentaler tells the moving story of his youth growing up in Poland at the time of the war and living through the death of his mother, father and sister, and coming to Canada with his younger brother. He goes on to discuss his groundbreaking work as a physician in the field of abortions. He became a doctor to help humanity, but in this case, he couldn't do anything because, at the time, abortion was illegal and considered criminal. After months of inner struggle, he decided it was his duty as a humanist, human being and doctor to help these women, no matter what the law said. After helping multiple women, he was arrested and tried and ended up in jail. He discusses why he opened up eight clinics in Canada, he wanted "clinics where women are treated with respect, dignity, with understanding and compassion and with competence, with the best, newest modern techniques." Watch this riveting talk as Henry describes his battle with the law, the importance of abortion, how having medically safe abortions for women is a fundamental right, and how by providing this ability to women, we can build a better society and if he can contribute to that, "well, it gives me great satisfaction to be able to do that."
Moses calls him "small but very tough ... he never gives up. He's been vilified, he's been physically threatened, he's been charged, he's been tried ... but after you've survived Auschwitz, what can they really do to you?" Henry Morgentaler tells the moving story of his youth growing up in Poland at the time of the war and living through the death of his mother, father and sister, and coming to Canada with his younger brother. He goes on to discuss his groundbreaking work as a physician in the field of abortions. He became a doctor to help humanity, but in this case, he couldn't do anything because, at the time, abortion was illegal and considered criminal. After months of inner struggle, he decided it was his duty as a humanist, human being and doctor to help these women, no matter what the law said. After helping multiple women, he was arrested and tried and ended up in jail. He discusses why he opened up eight clinics in Canada, he wanted "clinics where women are treated with respect, dignity, with understanding and compassion and with competence, with the best, newest modern techniques." Watch this riveting talk as Henry describes his battle with the law, the importance of abortion, how having medically safe abortions for women is a fundamental right, and how by providing this ability to women, we can build a better society and if he can contribute to that, "well, it gives me great satisfaction to be able to do that."
