To Mysterious Galaxy: Mazel Tov!

Mysterious Galaxy Books turns 13 years old this month, and the staff is celebrating by having a Book Mitzvah. Borrowing, of course, from the Jewish tradition -- children are Bar/Bat Mitzvahed at 13 years of age and expected to become responsible members of the community by performing good deeds (mitzvot) -- Mysterious Galaxy is lightheartedly ritualizing its "coming-of-age" in the San Diego community by donating a percentage of sales to five local charities throughout its 13th year.

The bookstore will also host a Book Mitzvah celebration (minus the Torah reading) on Saturday, May 13. Five authors, including Jeff Mariotte (Winds of the Wild Sea, Ace Books) and Charlaine Harris (Definitely Dead, Ace Books), will sign books and talk with fans, representatives of the local charities will be introduced, and cake will be served, while the band Music of the Spheres performs.

Co-owner Maryelizabeth Hart told BTW that store manager Patrick Heffernan offhandedly mentioned that the store should have a Bar or Bat Mitzvah since it was turning 13. "The more we thought about what a Bar or Bat Mitzvah means, in terms of embracing and being a responsible part of the community, the more we liked the idea," she said. "We worked collectively on how to implement it at the store."

Hart, business partner Terry Gilman, and the Mysterious Galaxy staff decided the best way to honor their Book Mitzvah commitment would be to donate a percentage of sales from the store's approximately 300 annual author events to one of five local nonprofit organizations: Becky's House, which provides transitional housing for those who have been victimized by domestic violence; Helen Woodward Animal Center; the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society; San Diego Habitat for Humanity; and Words Alive, a reading advocacy organization. Each visiting author will choose the organization to which he or she would like to donate the proceeds.

"Having an event that the staff could collectively get behind has been very important," Hart said. "The entire staff chose the five charities that they felt had value and that would likely speak to visiting authors. And the authors will know they've had an active part in the community." --Karen Schechner