In Judaism, the raised platform from which the Torah is read during many bar and bat mitzvah services is called the bimah.
The bimah is the central reading platform in a synagogue. The Torah scroll is placed or unrolled there during the public Torah service, and readers stand at the bimah while chanting the assigned passages. A bar or bat mitzvah student commonly reads or receives an honor at this location.
Synagogue designs differ. In many Ashkenazi Orthodox synagogues, the bimah is traditionally located toward the center of the room. In many modern congregations, it stands near the front beside the ark. The platform’s exact position does not change its function as the place for public reading and worship leadership.
The word should not be confused with aron, the ark that houses the Torah scrolls. The bimah is the reading platform; the aron is the storage cabinet or shrine. Both are important features of a synagogue service.