MONTREAL — Laurence Herscu usually gets an incredulous look when she tells people there are Jews living on the South Shore, but in fact, the small and scattered Jewish population there has had its own organized community for 15 years. Herscu is its president.

Beryl Tovim breaks bread at the South Shore Jewish Community’s Sukkot celebration held at her home in Lacolle, near the U.S. border. Tovim is the organization’s immediate past president.

On Dec. 13, the South Shore Jewish Community (SSJC) celebrates its anniversary at a Chanukah party in the rented space on the lower level of the Place La Citière shopping centre in La Prairie that has been its home for the past six years. The community has about 300 members.

SSJC’s founding president, the late Walter Lee, had lived on the South Shore for 30 years believing he was the only Jew in the area.

A chance encounter with a visibly Orthodox Jewish man one day in a big-box home renovation store set the wheels in motion for the founding of the SSJC, the first organized Jewish presence in the region.

Lee, a resident of Brossard, asked if the man, a Lubavitcher, lived on the South Shore. He did not, but he was more than willing to help Lee get in touch with his Jewish roots and find others who did, too.

Together, they combed the local phone book for Jewish-sounding names, and invited those who actually were Jewish to a gathering in the common room of Lee’s condo. About 35 people showed up, most of whom had never met each other before.

The community has had growing pains, and Herscu, who has been involved for five years, admits it remains a challenge to keep the diverse group of people together.

First of all, the members live over a wide area stretching from the St. Lawrence River to the U.S. border.

Herscu’s Nuns’ Island address has actually expanded the boundaries even further. Although Nuns’ Island, which is part of Verdun, is not on the South Shore, Herscu found it quicker to cross the Champlain Bridge to go to the SSJC’s place than to continue at the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue in Snowdon. She’s been involved with the SSJC for five years, three of them as president.

The greatest number of members come from Brossard, St. Hubert and Greenfield Park, she said.

Secondly, the members are both Ashkenazi and Sephardi, anglophone and francophone, Canadian-born and from several countries of origin – Israel, Morocco, the former Soviet bloc and Argentina being among the most common.

Herscu is a native of France. Her father was a Romanian Ashkenazi and her mother a Spanish Sephardi. A former teacher and manager of the Berlitz language school, Herscu has lived in Quebec for 20 years.

A high proportion of the South Shore community is intermarried, but there is nevertheless a preference among many for traditional Judaism. The SSJC’s centre has an Ark and a bimah, two sifrei Torah (on permanent loan) and a kosher kitchen. Men and women sit separately at religious events.

“Due to the diversity of our origins and experiences within Judaism, satisfying expectations of each and every member while integrating non-Jewish spouses and partners has been a real challenge. Yet this is what we have succeeded in doing so successfully for the past 15 years, and at this point in time, we can draw on our own history and move forward,” she said.

The SSJC does not hold Shabbat services and is not affiliated with any movement, but it does hold monthly Rosh Chodesh observances and High Holiday services, conducted by lay leader Leonard Cohen.

Otherwise, the organization is entirely volunteer.

The other major holidays are also celebrated, including an annual communal seder, which attracts about 50 participants.

This is not a wealthy community, and annual dues are kept to a nominal $50 per individual or  $100 per family. Besides holiday events, there are activities about twice a month, such as breakfasts with speakers, social get-togethers and outings.

The SSJC is affiliated with the Communaté sepharade unifiée du Québec (CSUQ) and Federation CJA. For several years, the federation has provided the SSJC with a grant, but that cheque did not arrive this year, Herscu said. CSUQ does not give money, but often offers services, such as printing the invitations to the 15th anniversary party.

The SSJC is also represented on Quebec Jewish Congress and the Synagogue Council of Greater Montreal.

Although finding activities and ways of doing things that please everybody has not been easy, Herscu said the community seems to have reached a point where people appreciate what has been accomplished and are willing to compromise.

“For most of our members, our organization is their principal connection to Judaism. They would not make the trip into Montreal,” she said. “We take our mission to preserve the Jewish heritage on the South Shore very seriously.”

But at this point, “five to six people are keeping the whole thing going,” and it is crucial to have a more active membership.

Herscu believes there are many more Jews on the South Shore, and she has devoted her presidency to finding them, especially younger families with children.