Aron Kodesh is the Hebrew term for the cabinet or chest in a synagogue where Torah scrolls are kept.
The phrase means “holy ark.” It recalls the biblical Ark of the Covenant, although the synagogue ark serves as a repository for scrolls rather than as the ancient Israelites’ sacred chest. The ark is usually positioned on the wall facing Jerusalem.
A curtain, called a parochet, often hangs in front of it. During services, worshippers may face the ark, and the Torah scrolls are removed from it for public reading. Customs for opening the ark and carrying the scrolls vary among Jewish communities.
The ark should not be confused with the bimah, the platform or reading table used for Torah reading. In some Sephardi synagogues, the ark may be called a hekhal, another Hebrew term for a Torah cabinet.