When I reflect on December 10, 2019, I think about Douglas Miguel Rodriguez Barzola. I wonder how he started his day, if he noticed anything different on his way to work at JC Kosher Supermarket in Jersey City. As a father, I imagine thoughts of family were on his mind—of his wife, Martha, and his 11-year-old daughter, Amy. Did he sense what awaited him? Could he have known that in the darkness to come, he would be remembered as a hero?

Mr. Rodriguez Barzola, along with Mindy Ferencz and Moshe Deutsch, was a victim of what has been classified as an act of domestic terrorism, perpetrated by two spite-filled members of an anti-Semitic fringe movement. The rampage also left multiple police officers injured and took the life of Detective Joseph Seals. None of these people could have imagined that the anger and ignorance that drove these two terrorists would lead to such a devastating outcome. No one should have to imagine that.

It was in the midst of the unthinkable that Mr. Rodriguez Barzola’s heroism became a beacon of hope. He gave his life to help a rabbinical student flee from the gunfire aimed at the heart of the Jewish community. Rushing to unbolt a door and let the young man out, he put himself directly in the line of fire. In that dire moment, he showed how he, a Catholic immigrant from Ecuador, had not a single thought about notions of faith or national identity, but only of saving the life of another human being. He showed us all what being American is all about.

I have been able to offer Mr. Rodriguez Barzola’s widow, Martha Freire, pro bono legal representation. It is a small gesture to thank her husband for bravely making the ultimate sacrifice. I am also the mayor of the neighboring city of Englewood, New Jersey, and am sensitive to the tensions that minority Americans from differing religious and ethnic groups in my community are experiencing. With those issues in mind, some of my constituents have expressed concern that I maintain a dialogue with President Trump. I understand and respect their concern, but as an elected leader, I also have a duty to act within our circumstances to help our community by any means, particularly during times of trouble.

As a lifelong Democrat, I am fully aware that this president is a historically divisive figure and I have little doubt as to what his legacy will be. But in order to honor my pledge to serve, as both a lawyer and a civil servant, I must work with everyone to ensure the best possible outcome for my constituents and my community. While this president may build walls, I do not. Keeping lines of communication open has allowed me to share my concerns with President Trump directly. I attended the White House Chanukah celebration on the day after the mayhem in Jersey City, and I used that opportunity to express my fears of growing anti-Semitism in this country and remind the president of his duty to protect all Americans. I cannot let pride or political expediency keep me from speaking truth to power, even if that power is in the form of the leader of the most powerful nation in the world. Refusing to engage only emphasizes the opinions of those who remain, advisors who all too often preach a gospel of fear and mistrust.

When I think about December 10, 2019, I think about heroism. I think about the countless Jewish, Christian and Muslim men and women who reject tribalism and ignorance as they do what they can to make their communities better places to live, work and raise their families. I empathize with their struggles and am grateful for their contributions—contributions that reinforce my own commitment to serve. Douglas Miguel Rodriguez Barzola was someone who gave his life to help someone who may have recited different prayers, but shared the same faith in a better future for his community and loved ones. I hope that in helping his family, I can honor his sacrifice. No matter the date, he—and those like him—will remain in my thoughts.