The Fundacion HispanoJudia of Madrid and the Jewish Community of Porto have partnered to produce The 2,000 Kidnapped Spanish Jewish Children film, a documentary highlighting a tragic chapter in Jewish history.
According to a joint statement by the organizations, the film, set to premiere in May 2025, will be available online for free and is dedicated to the families of the hostages taken during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack on Israel.
The statement recounted the heartbreaking story of Spanish Jews who, after fleeing to Portugal in 1492 following their expulsion from Spain, faced severe punitive measures under Portuguese King Dom João II.
Unable to pay the king's steep tribute, many Jewish families endured the horror of having their children, aged 8 and under, kidnapped and forcibly sent to the uninhabited and hostile island of São Tomé.
'Preserved for future generations'
David Hatchwell Altaras, President of the Fundacion HispanoJudia, noted in the statement: “This film shows how the history of Iberian Jews helps us comprehend current events—both in the tragedies endured by the Jewish people and in their contributions to global prosperity following the expulsions of the 15th century.”
Michael Rothwell, director of Porto’s Jewish and Holocaust museums, emphasized in the statement the kinship between Spanish and Portuguese Sephardic communities. “The intermarriages, shared family names, and mutual histories after the expulsions bind our communities. This collaboration ensures that these stories are preserved for future generations,” Rothwell stated.
The Jewish Community of Porto, Portugal, noted in the statement that its museums, which have engaged 20% of Portugal’s teenage population, constructed a replica of the ship that carried 2,000 Jewish children to São Tomé. This replica will be donated to Madrid’s Jewish Museum as part of their collaborative effort.
The film, as described in the statement, sheds light on the resilience of those who survived São Tomé’s harsh conditions, where the volcanic island’s poisonous vapors and wild animals posed constant threats. Despite these challenges, the children and their descendants laid the foundations for a flourishing sugar industry, a testament to the Jewish community's enduring strength in the face of adversity.
Through this film, the Fundacion HispanoJudia and the Jewish Community of Porto said they aim to honor the memory of past and present Jewish tragedies, offering a meaningful connection between history and the ongoing struggle for resilience and remembrance.