That was typically how couples introduced themselves to Rabbi Avi Kahan. With nowhere to turn, they brought forth their stories – their families were breaking apart and they desperately needed help.

They never wanted to be here, but somehow, they got here.

For Rabbi Kahan, it all began as a small favor here and there. Over time, it turned into a daily full-time project. The situations falling at his doorstep were endless. He would work hours, often throughout the night, settling couples’ disputes, watching husbands and wives tear up after handing over the gett, finding couples counselors to enhance communication, working with parents who weren’t on the same page anymore, getting restraining order to protect partners from violence, all while managing couples’ blame and despair. Ultimately, piecing families back together, and paving new paths for those who chose to part ways.

Rabbi Kahan often wondered, “How did we get here? What if we could have stopped this sooner? What if we could salvage these families and individuals before their situation is beyond repair?

That is when The Derech Shalom Center came to be….

Under the guidance of Rabbi Avi Kahan and Rav Tzvi Gertner, world renowned expert in Jewish divorce law, The Center was created to assist couples going through marital crisis. By offering a variety of preventative services to the family unit, the hope is that families will have access to help and guidance before their homes fall apart and reach the point of no return.