A powerful new documentary titled “The 2,000 Kidnapped Jewish Children” has been released for free on YouTube by the HispanoJewish Foundation of Madrid and the Jewish Community of Porto, Portugal. The 30-minute film sheds light on a little-known but haunting chapter of Jewish history and is dedicated to the families of those kidnapped by Hamas during the October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel.
The film recounts the story of 2,000 Jewish children—eight years old and younger—who were seized in 1493 by order of King João II of Portugal. Their parents, who had fled the 1492 expulsion from Spain, were unable to afford the ransom demanded by the Portuguese crown. As a result, their children were torn from them and deported to the remote and uninhabited island of São Tomé, 7,500 kilometers 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 Gabriel Senderowicz, President of the Jewish Community of Oporto. “This film highlights one of many historical episodes ignored in European school curricula.”
David Hatchwell Altaras, President of the HispanoJewish Foundation, added: “The agony of having our children stolen is something Jews have suffered throughout history. We can only imagine the pain of the parents of those 2,000 children—just as we empathize with the anguish of today’s families whose loved ones were taken on October 7. This film connects those past horrors with our present grief.”
The story is drawn from historical accounts by Portuguese chroniclers and leading Jewish figures such as Isaac Abravanel, Samuel Usque, and Shlomo Ibn Verga. It also depicts the brutal conditions on São Tomé—described by 16th-century physician Amato Lusitano—where toxic gases, wild animals, and massive crocodiles made survival perilous. In Jewish memory, the island came to be known as “Crocodile Island.”
Despite the unimaginable suffering, some children survived. Their descendants later helped establish successful industries in sugar, wine, meat, and cheese—testifying to the enduring strength and resilience of the Jewish people.
Michael Rothwell, director of the Jewish and Holocaust Museums of Porto, said: “Each generation of Jews has the responsibility to preserve our history. The 1493 tragedy has been forgotten, but its echoes are heard in the trauma we endure today. By remembering and sharing these stories, we find the strength to face the present.”
