JACK GOODMAN was born in Bethlehem, South Africa in 1937. He grew up in a small town called Potchefstroom. He is married with 3 children and 11 grandchildren.
He lived his youth on farms near rivers.
and modeled from the clay found on the riverbanks. He wanted to study art at high school but there were no available programs. After finishing school he served an apprenticeship as a diesel mechanic. During that period, he also took night classes in clay modeling for 2 years. Part of the mechanic’s course included welding. Due to the high cost of casting clay models, he switched the medium to welded art and exhibited with the bi-annual “Artists in the Sun” shows held in Johannesburg.
He moved to Israel with his wife and three children in 1973 and settled on Moshav Neve Ilan where he was occupied with welding and repairs of tractors and vehicles. As a result of a full day’s work of welding he switched his art medium to wood and has been carving since 1975. During that period, from time to time, he also created welded pieces of art.
In 2002 he started to teach pensioners basic wood carving. He expanded this to evening classes for adults and now has regular wood carving groups.
What he carves is influenced by the political atmosphere, the media and by nature. He uses the natural formation of the wooden roots or wood itself and channels them into the idea he wants to portray.
