bimah

American

[bee-muh, bee-mah] / ˈbi mə, biˈmɑ /

Also bima,

noun

a platform in a synagogue holding the reading table used when chanting or reading portions of the Torah and the Prophets.

bimah British

/ ˈbiːmə /

noun

variant spellings of bema

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bimah

From Yiddish bime, or directly from Hebrew bīmāh, from Greek bêma bema

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It’s a very profound honor to stand up on any bimah, or pulpit.

From Slate • Aug. 7, 2025

She stepped onto the bimah, the raised platform in synagogues from which services are led, and recalled that the last time she stood there, she was with her mom getting ready for services.

From Washington Post • Jul. 8, 2022

“L’shanah tovah tikatevu,” the Temple Or Rishon cantor sang from a bright bimah.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 10, 2021

Rows of tables and plastic chairs face an ornate wooden pulpit, or bimah.

From The New Yorker • Aug. 26, 2019

Mrs. Gruver and her husband stand behind Noah at the bimah.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023