Aliyah (Torah)

An aliyah (Hebrew: עליה; pl. עליות, aliyot; 'ascent' or 'going up') is the calling of a member of a Jewish congregation up to the bimah for a segment of the formal Torah reading. One receiving an aliyah is called an oleh (male) or olah (female).

The individual receiving the aliyah goes up to the bimah before the chanting and recites a series of blessings specific to ritualized Torah chanting. After the portion of the Torah is read, the recipient recites another blessing.

Babylonian Jewry completed the cycle of Torah portions annually, and Palestinian Jewry adopted a triennial cycle, according to Megillah 29b. The weekly chanting of the haftara, a portion of the Nevi'im linked by the Tannaim to the week's Torah portion, originated during the Mishnaic era (Megillah 24a). This practice probably began after the canonization of the Hebrew Bible and the ensuing effort by Jews to highlight the Jewish prophets.