[3] In 1860, his father, in partnership with his brother-in-law Shaul Yehuda, bought an olive grove in the village of Qalunya in the greater Jerusalem area.

In 1872, with a number of colleagues, he worked to help plan a sale to buy land in Jericho from the Ottoman government.

Years later, another initiative formed the modern-day city of Petah Tikva, although Yellin was not involved in that project.

[9] In 1872, Yellin leased land in partnership with Benjamin Salant [he] and Isaac Goldschmidt through Bedouin contacts in Transjordan to grow grain for food.

In 1897, he was elected to serve as a member of the municipality of Jerusalem, making him the first Ashkenazi Jew to hold that position.