MONSEY, N.Y. (WCBS 880) – A Rockland County man is being honored for his role in trying to stop the Hanukkah party machete attack.
Josef Gluck, 32, said it several times during his award ceremony Sunday: “I’m a simple guy.”
He’s a simply guy who did some superhuman things during the Dec. 28 attack on a rabbi’s home in Monsey.
“I never imagined that I would be the one they call a hero,” he said.
Gluck ran in to save a child, threw a table at the attacker and had the presence of mind to write down the attacker’s license plate number, leading to an arrest hours later.
“God placed me in this place at this moment to do what I had to do, so I don’t think I even had a choice,” Gluck said.
Public officials have been lining up to honor Gluck. Just days ago, Ramapo officials awarded Gluck the Ramapo Freedom Award.
The latest award came Sunday from state Sen. David Carlucci, who awarded him the New York State Senate Liberty Medal.
“The highest honor that a civilian can receive in the state of New York from the state Senate,” Carlucci said.
Despite Gluck’s humbleness, Carlucci says it’s clear the attack would have been much worse if Gluck hadn’t done what he did.
“We can rest a little bit easier because off the heroic work that Josef did,” Carlucci said.