Cookie* and Merritt* Yoelin

Portland’s Jewish community meant the world to Cookie and Merritt Yoelin z”l. During their lives, they both were involved with numerous Jewish organizations including OJCF, Jewish Federation of Greater Portland, Congregation Neveh Shalom, Jewish Family & Child Service and National Council of Jewish Women (NCJW).

Cookie passed away in 1999 and Merritt passed in 2012. Merritt’s estate plan established the Merritt and Cookie Yoelin Fund of OJCF that continues to provide annual support to our community’s organizations. “The desire to be deeply involved in the Jewish community and to help others get involved was ingrained in my parents,” says Amara Norman, Cookie and Merritt’s daughter. “All they ever wanted was to make things beautiful and to help good people give back. And it was because of their love, for each other and for our community, that they sparkled.”