Bernard Goodman was the third of four children. His parents were Jacob Goodman and Annie (Hanreck) Goodman from Bethlehem in the Free State. Jacob migrated to South Africa from Bialystok, Poland. Bernard and his wife Eva (née Lemkus) met while the Lemkus family was living in Harrismith  - also in the Free State. The shiduch was arranged by Eva's older sister, Amelia. Bernard and Eva lived in Vryburg from around 1935 to 1938 (possibly until 13939). Eva's parents, Sarah and Moshe, emigrated from Talsen, Latvia, and first settled in Vryburg. Bernard was a pharmacist and owned a local pharmacy. During their time in Vryburg, their daughter Jacqueline was born in 1935. Eva left Vryburg in 1937 or 1938 and divorced Bernard.