Julian Heicklen

Julian Heicklen
Teaneck, NJ

Julian is currently running for Assembly under the NJ Libertarian Party banner in the 3th district. Julian Heicklen is a well-known, if not widely known, civil rights activist. He has been arrested 34 times in civil rights demonstrations and incarcerated 11 times. As a result of one of his arrests, the State College, PA noise ordinance was declared unconstitutional. He sued the Boro of State College and received $8000.00 in an out-of-court settlement.

He was the Libertarian Party candidate for attorney general of Pennsylvania in 2000. He was the recipient of the Pennsylvania Libertarian Party "Achievement Award" in 1999 and again in 2006. He was awarded the Todah Award of the Jewish Congregation at Rockview Prison in 1995. The "Non-Trial's" is the story of his journey through the NY state and federal courts as a result of his arrest on April 17, 2007, while demonstrating against Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad across the street from the UN building in New York City. In his senior year in high school, he was President of the Upstate New York Region of Senoir Judea (the high-school arm of the Zionist Organization of America). Julian Heicklen was Action Chairman for the Los Angeles chapter of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in 1962-63.

In 1962 he invented and executed the first "dwell-in" in which CORE seized a home for a black family in a housing tract in Wilmington, CA. As a result, a court ORDER was issued which ended housing discrimination in California based oJulianEducatingJurorsonNullificationn race, religion, or country of national origin. Julian Heicklen is a Founding sponsor of the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial. He held several official positions for the Centre County of PA chapter of ACLU (1969-1980). He was National Coordinator of the Small Committees of the Committee on the International Freedom of Scientists of the American Physical Society (1983-86), and a Member of the National Board of Directors of the Committee of Concerned Scientists (1987-2004). He founded the organization Smart on Crime and was its Executive Director (1996-2006). Also he was the Pennsylvania representative for the Fully Informed Jury Association (2000-2006). He was an official visitor for the Pennsylvania Prison Society (1996), a staff member of CentrePeace (1996), a mentor for Project Change of Centre County, PA (1996), an area coordinator for the Justice Fellowship Task Force (1996-97), and a prison reporter for Voices of Central Pennsylvania (1997). He was on the Board of Directors of the Tri-State (PA, NJ, DE) Drug Policy Forum (2001-03) and the Pennsylvania chapter of NORML (2001-03), a co-sponsor of the Million Marijuana Marches (1999-2003), and High Times Magazine Freedom Fighter of the Month (May 1998).

He was the organizer and Chair, Centre County, PA Chapter of the Libertarian Party (1997); a member of the Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania Board of Directors (1998-2002); Student Outreach Program Chairman (1999-2002); Western Vice Chair. Libertarian Party of PA (2002); Faculty Advisor, College Libertarians of Penn State (1998-2001). He served on the Libertarian Party National Platform Committee (2002). In 2009, he organized "Tyranny Fighters" to restore the Bill of Rights in the U. S. Constitution.

Civic Activities

Julian Heicklen was an active member of Congregation Beth Shalom in State College, PA. He served on many committees and terms as Treasurer and Vice President. He was active in outreach programs and spoke about Judaism at several Christian churches. For the extended Jewish community of Centre County, PA, he was Head of the Cemetery Committee and Chair of the mens' Hevra Kadisha (committee which prepares bodies for burial), both for over 30 years. One year he and his wife were co-chairs of the annual United Jewish Appeal dinner. He also delivered lunches to the home-bound for Meals on Wheels.