The Bamboo Cradle - a Jewish father's story - Avraham Schwartzbaum
The Bamboo Cradle: A Jewish Father's Story
A Heartwarming and Providential Biographical Odyssey Tracking an Abandoned Taiwanese Infant, a Bureaucratic Rescue, and a Journey Home to Orthodox Judaism [1, 2, 3]
A Heartwarming and Providential Biographical Odyssey Tracking an Abandoned Taiwanese Infant, a Bureaucratic Rescue, and a Journey Home to Orthodox Judaism [1, 2, 3]
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: The Bamboo Cradle: A Jewish Father's Story
- Author: Avraham Schwartzbaum (Born Allan Schwartzbaum)
- Publisher: Feldheim Publishers, Jerusalem / New York
- Publication Date: 1989 (Second Revised Hardcover Edition / Imprint)
- ISBN-13: 9780873064637 (ISBN-10: 0873064631)
- Edition Details: Second Revised Edition. Highly celebrated biographical classic within inspirational Jewish literature.
- Binding: Original publisher's premium textured cloth boards with elegant gilt-stamped typography to the spine; complete with original illustrated paper dust jacket.
- Physical Format: Medium Octavo (8vo), 248 pages. Enhanced with a specialized supplementary section titled "Devorah's Diary", alongside structural family portraits.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+) / Excellent Condition
- Exterior / Boards: The original hardcovers are in beautiful physical shape—exceptionally flat, rigid, and completely square. The corners remain sharp and entirely free of significant edge wear or storage indentation. The spine panel is uncreased, tight, upright, and structurally perfect.
- Interior: The 248-page text block is robustly bound, tight, and fresh. The internal pages remain beautifully clean, crisp, intact, and bright white throughout. Entirely free of reader highlights, margin notations, or dog-eared corners.
- Provenance: Clean collector's state; entirely free of modern previous owner signatures, institutional day school library stamps, or dealer pencil marks.
- Protection: Carefully preserved and safely enclosed within a custom archival-grade protective cellophane cover.
- The Dust Jacket: Near Fine (NF) / Mint Condition
Synopsis & Historical Value
Originally published in 1988 and presented here in the scarce 1989 Feldheim revised hardcover edition, The Bamboo Cradle is a masterpiece of biographical narrative and a classic within modern Baal Teshuva (return to faith) literature. The book documents the true story of Allan Schwartzbaum, an American sociology and industrial relations professor living in Taiwan on a prestigious Fulbright Scholarship. Despite nine years of marriage, Allan and his wife, Barbara, had been unable to conceive children.
The trajectory of their lives shifts during a routine commute when Allan discovers a tiny, newborn Chinese baby girl abandoned on a bench in a railroad station. Though they initially leave the infant with the station master, intense regret drives the couple to locate her. They uncover a dangerous baby-selling ring masquerading as a local orphanage and fight a grueling battle against both Chinese and American bureaucracies to successfully adopt the infant.
Upon returning to the United States, their desire to provide their new daughter, Devorah, with a basic Jewish education leads them into an unexpected spiritual awakening. Discovering that conversion requires a commitment to an Orthodox upbringing, the non-observant academic couple reluctantly explores the depth of their own heritage. This heartwarming odyssey traces their evolution into strictly observant Orthodox Jews, their relocation to Israel, and the subsequent biological children they conceived. Infused with humor, pathos, and profound sociological insights, this beautifully protected copy serves as a cornerstone volume for serious collectors of inspirational Judaica, biographies, and modern Jewish historical narratives.
Author Profile: Avraham Schwartzbaum
Avraham Schwartzbaum (born Allan Schwartzbaum) was a highly accomplished American academic, sociologist, and international author. Holding advanced research degrees, he specialized in industrial relations and corporate sociology, serving as a visiting professor across multiple global universities under the Fulbright program. Following his family's spiritual transformation and relocation to Israel, he dedicated his later life to independent writing, education, and communal work, utilizing his analytical training to document the complex emotional and religious dimensions of cross-cultural adoption and faith.
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