Who is Dad from Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table and what is their importance?

An intellectual from a wealthy German-Jewish family, Dad migrates to the U.S. in the 1920s and still has a German accent. He is tall, suave and elegant. Unfortunately, all his time and emotional energy is focused on his wife and his daughter is left to her own devices. Dad is also severely disappointed that he does not have a son, a fact that is underscored for Ruth when she brings her future husband Doug home and the two men instantly bond.