Jehiel Raphael Elyachar

Jehiel Raphael Elyachar (October 20, 1898 – March 29, 1989) was an engineer, real estate developer and philanthropist who contributed to American and Israeli causes. He distinguished himself during World War II as a colonel in charge of military intelligence for the United States Army, earning the Bronze Star Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Légion d'honneur.

Biography Elyachar was born on October 20, 1898, in Jerusalem, then part of the Ottoman Empire.

He was educated as an engineer in Paris before emigrating to the United States in 1928. He established the Straight Construction Corporation and built his business by managing foreclosed properties he had bought from banks during the Great Depression.

Elyachar enlisted in the United States Army during World War II as a private, advancing to the rank of colonel in charge of military intelligence for General Dwight D. Eisenhower. His engineering skills came into play in the construction of vital railroad bridges that helped clear the way for General George S. Patton's Third Army tanks to advance into Nazi Germany. For his service, Elyachar earned the Bronze Star Medal and the Legion of Merit in recognition of his building "the foundation of modern military intelligence" during the war. He was also awarded the Légion d'honneur from the French government. A resident of 33 West 63rd said that the building "sticks out like a sore thumb, or a finger — which is probably what the colonel had in mind".

He endowed a chair in Sephardic studies at Yeshiva University and donated to the school his collection of Judaica in the Spanish language and Ladino, the largest such collection in the United States.

Family Elyachar had twin sons, Ralph and Daniel, and a daughter, Ruth, by his first wife,

A resident of Manhattan, Elyachar died of a heart attack at the age 90 on March 29, 1989, at Bellevue Hospital Center. He was survived by his second wife, Anna Tulin. He was also survived by a daughter and two sons from his first marriage, along with 12 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.