Subverting the Three Weeks

A woman who was given an aliyah last Shabbos was celebrating her birthday. "Is it a significant birthday?" the gabbai asked. "Ish," she said; so we sang siman tov umazel tov, following which I said "ish!"

Then we had someone who was in Assif for the first time since his wedding two weeks ago, so we sang siman tov umazel tov following his aliyah.

Then we sang it again for Markus, who has just been ordained as rabbi, and was being called up for the first time as "ha-rav", and again for G, who has just completed her conversion and was receiving her first aliyah.

All in all, it was the most rejoicing in the Three Weeks I've seen! (Of course, Shabbos takes precedence over the state of semi-mourning of the Three Weeks, but even so.)