The Baal Koreh or Baal Keriah (master of the reading) is the officiant who reads the Torah from the scroll in the synagogue.

Prior to the 12th century it was customary that each person called up for an Aliyah would himself read his own portion. However, reading the Torah requires a great deal of skill for the proper intonation and accentuation. In order not to embarrass those who were unable to read properly themselves, the official role of the Baal Koreh was introduced.