Speaking on Sunday, she said: “It is coming up to Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar, and this one will be the first one since two Jewish men, Melvin Cravitz, and Adrian Daulby were killed last year in Manchester whilst they were at synagogue.
“The word that Melvin’s family kept on hearing after he died, when people described him, was the word mensch.”
The Countdown star, who was awarded an MBE for services to Holocaust education in 2022, explained: “Mensch is a Yiddish word. It literally means human, but what it really means is a really genuinely good person, so the best of good eggs.”
Riley said someone who embodies the term is her friend Marc Abraham, known as Marc the Vet.
“Marc was sick of treating sick puppies, puppies that came from terrible puppy farms. So he campaigned for 10 years and got the law changed with Lucy's Law so that pet shops could not sell puppies and kittens and that cut off the puppy farmers at the source.
“I remember it being at one of his charity events and it was his grandma that used the word so proudly about her grandson and called him a mensch.
“It really meant something, because Marc’s grandma was a really special woman and she survived the Holocaust. She came over in the Kindertransport and she really knew a thing or two about mensches.”
Inviting her followers to share their own examples, Riley said: “Melvin's stepdaughter, Sherelle, is setting up a charity called Mensch Like Melvin, and she wants to spread a little bit of light in his honour, so as this anniversary approaches, I'd love to hear from you. Who is your mensch?”
She asked them to fill the comments with “lovely stories”.
.jpeg?f=3x2&w=732&q=0.6)
Sherelle Dresner, stepdaughter of Melvin Cravitz (Melvin's Legacy)[Missing Credit]
Dresner, the chief executive of the charity who had Melvin in her life for more than 25 years, since she was a child, said: “Melvin was such a true mensch, and his actions had such a positive impact on other people’s lives.
“As a result of this, we want to inspire other people to be mensches. To be kind, considerate, compassionate, understanding and respectful of other people no matter their background, to recognise that each one of us has a responsibility in society with regards to how we behave and treat other people.”
Dresner asked: “If you have any stories about Melvin, share them with us. And even if you didn’t know him, please share with us any stories about a mensch in your life, and the importance of being a mensch.
“Image what this world would be like if every person in this world was a mensch? So be a mensch, be like Melvin.”
After he was killed, Cravitz’s family said in a statement: “Melvin would do anything to help anyone. He was so kind, caring and always wanted to chat and get to know people. He was devoted to his wife, family and loved his food. He will be sorely missed by his wife, family, friends and community.”
Adrian Daulby (left) and Melvin Cravitz - the victims of the Heaton Park attack (Photos: Greater Manchester Police)[Missing Credit]
Rabbi Daniel Walker of Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation remembered Cravitz as a “wonderful family man”.
He worked for around 25 years at Halpern’s Kosher Supermarket in the heart of Salford’s Jewish community and was semi-retired at the time of his death.
Mensch Like Melvin aims to “help make the world a better place by inspiring both current and future generations to aspire to be a mensch, just as Melvin was and to bring communities together – ensuring Melvin's legacy and belief in the goodness and kindness of others and the importance of positive connections between all people lives on.”
To learn more, visit the charity’s website.
