In a Jewish bar or bat mitzvah service, the wooden cabinet where Torah scrolls are kept is called the aron kodesh.
Aron kodesh means “holy ark.” It is the synagogue’s sacred storage place for the sifrei Torah, or Torah scrolls. In many synagogues, a curtain called a parochet hangs in front of it. The ark may stand on the wall facing Jerusalem, and congregants often stand when its doors are opened or when the Torah is carried through the sanctuary.
The bar or bat mitzvah service usually involves taking a Torah scroll from the aron kodesh to the reading platform, known as the bimah. This Jewish ark should not be confused with the biblical Ark of the Covenant, although the synagogue term deliberately evokes that ancient association. It is also distinct from the Christian term “ark,” which can refer to a boat or to other religious objects.