The Hebrew word bracha, also spelled berakhah or berakah, names a blessing recited before a person reads from the Torah.
During a Torah service, the person receiving an aliyah recites a blessing before the reading and another after it. These blessings acknowledge God as the giver of the Torah and frame the reading as a sacred communal act.
Bracha is a common transliteration, while berakhah is another widely used form. The Hebrew term is not limited to bar and bat mitzvah services: Jewish tradition uses berakhot for many occasions, including food, festivals, prayer, and other religious experiences.
A Torah blessing is different from the Torah reading itself. The celebrant may chant verses, but the bracha is the formal liturgical wording surrounding that reading. Transliteration and pronunciation can vary between communities.