	Goren was born in Kibbutz Merhavia to Shoshanna and Abraham, both of whom were teachers. At the age of 14 he joined the Youth Air Battalion where he underwent a gliding course and represented the Israeli delegation to the United States. In 1961 he enlisted in the pilot training course where he was trained as a fighter pilot. His first engagement was during a bombing raid in Syria in April 1967. In the Six-Day War, Goren served as a Vautour pilot in the 110 Squadron. During the war he flew 15 combat sorties, amongst them the assault on the Egyptian airfield Beni Suef, the first bombing of the H-3 Iraqi Air Base as part of Operation Focus, and air support mission during the Battle of Abu-Ageila.