Director and Teachers

Alex Marques (pronounced "marks"), has been an integral part of our school community since 2017, though her Jewish educational journey began long before then. Growing up in Dallas, Alex was heavily involved in the Jewish community.

Then Alex took a year “on” (as opposed to a year off) and spent her freshman year of college abroad In Israel. There she lived on Kibbutz Ketura, studied in Jerusalem, and taught preschool in Tel Aviv. After Israel, she graduated from the University of Texas with a degree in Psychology and Jewish Studies. At UT, Alex was involved with the Jewish life both on and off campus.

Alex then moved from Austin to Boston, and furthered her education by obtaining a Master's degree in Teaching from Brandeis University. Alex's roots are deeply connected to Massachusetts, where both her parents grew up. With a teaching career spanning 19 years, Alex has enriched the minds of students in both Jewish and secular schools in Texas, New York, and Massachusetts. 

Alex lives in Rockport with her husband Brian, who is originally from Gloucester, and their two kids, Zevi and Hazel. Outside the classroom, you can find Alex reading a book at Good Harbor while enjoying an iced coffee. 

In addition to leading TAA's educational efforts, Alex is the Morah for Kitah Gimel. She is committed to creating positive Jewish learning experiences for the families at Temple Ahavat Achim. Please feel free to reach out to learn more about the Sylvia Cohen Family Learning Project and our upcoming community events. You can connect by email, or phone: 978.281.0739 x12.

Abigale Reisman is a violinist, composer, improviser, and educator. She is particularly interested in expressing the human voice through the violin and connecting her klezmer fiddling to the rhythms and accents of the Yiddish language. Abigale is a performer, composer, and arranger with the International Jewish Music Festival award winning band, Ezekiel's Wheels. She regularly performs in a duo with renowned klezmer scholar and performer Hankus Netsky. Abigale is also a co-founder of Thread Ensemble, an experimental trio that creates music out of interactions with their audiences and a member of Tredici Bacci, a psycho Zappa rock band that tours the country. Most recently, Abigale was commissioned by the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra to write a Concerto for Klezmer band and orchestra, which premiered on September 5th, 2024 in Aalborg, Denmark. She is currently the music director at Temple Ahavat Achim in Gloucester, MA where she lives with her husband and two cats.