Bimah – the reading platform in a synagogue from which the Torah is read

(Pronounced by-mah)

To remember the meaning of Bimah in Judaism, use the following mnemonic:

The book by Ma (bimah) was considered so sacred they read it from the reading platform in the synagogue.

The main purpose of the bimah is to show that the reader of the Torah is the most important thing at that moment, and to make it easier for the reader to be seen and heard.

The surface on which the Torah is placed is often draped with a cloth to give honour to the scripture. Like a drafting table, the surface is slightly slanted, making for easy reading of the Torah scroll, which is often quite large.