Jack’s journey from dairy farm to Judaism

Jack O’Shea grew up on a dairy farm in northern Victoria where he had never met a Jew. Today he is preparing for an Orthodox conversion, keeping Shabbat and documenting his journey to Judaism on Instagram, where his account has attracted close to 20,000 followers.

Raised in the small town of Cohuna, about 40 minutes north-west of Echuca, O’Shea grew up in a Catholic household. His father worked long hours running the family dairy farm and his mother was a hairdresser in town.

Life in the country left little room for discussions about faith.

“Growing up in the country, it’s quite a simple lifestyle,” O’Shea tells JWire. “You don’t really talk about spirituality or deep conversations about religion.”

Yet, from a young age, he felt something was missing.

“I always felt that the spiritual connection was something that was missing in my life,” he said. “I wanted to bring that into my life, but I didn’t know how.”

Judaism was never part of his world growing up.

“I never met a Jew until I was about 22 and living in Melbourne,” he explains.

After moving to St Kilda in his early twenties, that changed. Through football and social circles, he began making Jewish friends. Invitations to Shabbat dinners and Jewish holiday gatherings gradually introduced him to Jewish life and community.

The turning point came during Melbourne’s strict Covid lockdowns, when O’Shea took in new flatmates after his housemates moved out. One of them was Tair, an Israeli who later became his partner. Long conversations during lockdown introduced him to Jewish traditions and beliefs.

“Through those conversations it started to answer things inside me,” he said. “I felt comfortable asking questions that I’d never really asked before.”

He began attending St Kilda Shule, where Rabbi Yaakov Glassman became an early mentor.

“He made me feel comfortable and respected where I came from,” O’Shea said. “He gave me the time to sit down and talk about questions or concerns I had about Judaism.”

After several years of attending synagogue and learning informally, O’Shea applied to begin a formal Orthodox conversion through the Melbourne Beth Din.

The process involved extensive documentation, references from members of the Jewish community, interviews with the Beth Din, and a structured curriculum covering Jewish belief and practice.

O’Shea studies weekly with a teacher while Tair learns alongside him.

“When you convert to Judaism, you do it together,” he said. “The person you live with has to share the same values and commitments.”

The program consists of eight modules. He is currently studying the seventh one.

“There’s no end date,” he said. “It depends on the individual and how you grow through the process.”

He describes the experience as finding a spiritual home.

“It was the first time in my life where I felt content with the decision I was making,” he said. “My soul was looking to return home. I finally found the way to help it return.”

Observing Shabbat and keeping kosher has reshaped parts of his social life.

“It’s hard to explain why you can’t go out on Friday night or why you can’t eat at certain places,” he said.

Some friendships faded, but the Jewish community has filled that gap.

“I’ve met people now who share the same values,” he said. “Those are friendships that will stay with me for life.”

His family has supported his decision even as they learn about unfamiliar practices.

“It was confronting for them at first,” he said. “But they saw that I was happy, and they’ve been incredibly supportive.”

Alongside his studies, O’Shea began to document his journey on Instagram (@jacksjewishjourney), sharing moments from Jewish learning, synagogue life and Shabbat observance.

“At the start I had three followers,” he said. “It was my partner, her sister and her mother. They were the three likes on my first video.”

The account has since grown rapidly and now has close to 20,000 followers.

“I felt it was an opportunity to show the beauty of Judaism,” he said. “There’s so much darkness that can spread on social media, so I wanted to spread some light.”

Messages now arrive from around the world.

“I’ve had people write saying they’ve started putting on tefillin again or going back to shul,” he said. “If I can help someone find their spark or reignite it, that means everything.”

Earlier this week, O’Shea shared his story in person at a JNForever Morning Tea & Insights event in Melbourne. The group, run by Jewish National Fund Australia, hosts these gatherings every six weeks to foster belonging and connection through guest speakers and meaningful discussions.

More than 50 people attended the warm, inspiring session, where audience members asked thoughtful questions about his path to Judaism and expressed admiration for his commitment.

Held in a festive atmosphere to mark Purim, the morning tea featured hamantaschen, mishloach manot and a celebratory spirit that perfectly complemented the themes of joy, community and personal transformation in his journey.

As his Instagram continues to inspire thousands worldwide, Jack not only continues his journey but also lights the way for others.

---

For more on JNForever, see: https://jnf.org.au/jnforever/