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. He later served as an adviser to President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Real estate He resumed his real estate business after completing his military service, buying and building commercial and residential buildings, primarily in Manhattan. Eventually he built a portfolio that was worth as much as $100 million. A five-story residential building which he owned at 33 West 63rd Street, a tenement constructed in the 1890s, became the target of an effort by Paul Milstein to assemble a group of properties that would become the site of 1 Lincoln Plaza, a 43-story building that had both offices and apartments. After lengthy haggling, a deal fell apart. The surrounding buildings on the site were demolished and 1 Lincoln Plaza was constructed around Elyachar's building at 33 West 63rd Street. 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". Legacy Since the 1950s Elyachar started contributing to American and Israeli causes. He was the founder and president of the American Society for Technion, an organization created to assist the Technion