Who is Heimel Naumann (Henry Newman) from Bee Season: A Novel and what is their importance?

Heimel Naumann is born into a Jewish Orthodox family. When Yehuda Naumann, Heimel's father, declares Heimel's fiancee Lisa as "not Jewish enough," Heimel and Lisa elope anyway (p. 10). Yehuda Naumann ignores the birth of his grandson, Saul (who becomes Sal), after which Heimel Naumann changes his name to Henry (Hank) Newman and turns his back on Judaism altogether. Hank works as an automobile mechanic and has hopes that Saul will follow in his footsteps. Saul is Hank and Lisa Newman's only child. "When Saul uses his student status to stay out of Vietnam, Henry officially washes his hands of his ungrateful, hippie Jew of a son" (p. 11).