Who is Deborah from A Walker in the City and what is their importance?

Deborah is a character from the Old Testament is a powerful prophetess (seer of the future) and warrior, one of the few truly powerful women in the entire Bible, not just the Testament in which she appears. She is referred to several times throughout "A Walker in the City" as an idol of the author's youth, her strength and courage and commitment to her cause (and that of the Jewish people) serving as an inspiration and, simultaneously, an intimidation.