(Sunday, May 25, 2025) – A powerful new documentary, The 2,000 Kidnapped Jewish Children, has just been released for free on YouTube by the HispanoJewish Foundation of Madrid and the Jewish Community of Porto. The 30-minute film sheds light on a little-known but harrowing chapter in Jewish history—and is dedicated to the families of the hostages abducted during Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
The documentary, which already has over 65,000 views, tells the story of Jewish children—aged eight and under—who were seized by order of King João II of Portugal in 1493. Their families, having fled Spain’s 1492 expulsion, were unable to pay the high ransom demanded by the Portuguese crown. As punishment, their children were forcibly deported to the uninhabited and hostile island of São Tomé, 7,500 km from home.
“When we hear European leaders rewarding terrorism and encouraging the killing of Jews and Israelis everywhere, it becomes imperative to remember what European Jewish life has been like for centuries,” said President of the Oporto Jewish Community Gabriel Senderowicz. “This film aims to recall a historical episode, similar to many others, that is not even mentioned in school curricula in any European country. “
David Hatchwell Altaras, President of the HispanoJewish Foundation, said:
“The agony of having our children stolen is something Jews have felt many times in history. We can only imagine the anguish of the parents of those 2,000 children—taken by force and shipped across the ocean centuries ago. Through this film we can connect to Jews taken by force throughout history, including, and especially, those ripped from their homes and the Nova party on October 7.”
The story is documented by Portuguese chroniclers and leading Jewish scholars of the time, including Isaac Abravanel, Samuel Usque, and Shlomo Ibn Verga. The film also captures the brutal conditions on the volcanic island, where toxic gases, wild animals, and even 10-meter crocodiles—described by 16th-century physician Amato Lusitano—posed constant threats to survival. In the Jewish world, São Tomé became known as I Ha Timsahim—“The Island of the Lizards.”
Despite the horrors, some of the children survived. Their descendants went on to build thriving industries in sugar, wine, meat, and cheese—offering a powerful testament to the resilience of the Jewish spirit.
Michael Rothwell, director of the Jewish and Holocaust Museums of Porto, emphasized:
“Every generation of Jews has a duty to preserve and share our history. What happened in 1493 is a forgotten tragedy, but it speaks directly to the traumas we face today. We must remember and use these stories of resilience to face our current challenges as a people.”
Through this film, the HispanoJewish Foundation and the Jewish Community of Porto seek to bridge past and present—linking a historical injustice with a modern-day tragedy—and to reaffirm a collective commitment to memory, identity, and endurance.
The film can be watched at this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dmff7yl4Uc
