A man who tried to stop the Monsey attacker during Hanukkah was given the highest honor the state Senate can give.

Josef Gluck humbly accepted the New York State Senate Liberty Medal from Sen. David Carlucci Sunday.

It was at a house on Forshay Road where Gluck says he used a coffee table - the heaviest item he could find - to throw at the machete-wielding attacker. Gluck also took note of the attacker's license plate, which ultimately led to an arrest.

"We can rest a little easier because of the heroic act that Josef did," said Carlucci.

Officials say the fact that Gluck got the attacker's license plate saved lives that night -- possibly countless more.

"In all certainty, this individual, if he would've not been caught, would've planned his third attack, and you have saved us, you have saved the people from this attack, but you have saved the community of future events," says Aron Wieder, of the Rockland County Legislature.

In a world where acts of violence and hatred are becoming so prevalent, officials are encouraging people to take that extra step.

"When we see something, not just say something, but we do something, which is the most important thing," says Eudson Tyson Francois, a Spring Valley trustee.