Parochet (Hebrew: פרוכת) (also paroches, parokhet) is the curtain on the front of the Aron Kodesh (Torah Ark) in a synagogue that covers the Sifrei Torah (Torah scrolls). In most cases, behind the parochet is also a door.
This curtain represents the covering that was on the original Ark of the Covenant.[1]
It is customary in many synagogues to change the parochet to a different set (normally white) during the High Holy Days.
The term parochet is used in the Bible to describe the curtain that separated the Kodesh Hakodashim (Holy of Holies) from the main hall of the Temple in Jerusalem. Its use in synagogues is a reference to the centrality of the Temple to Jewish worship.
Several of the prohibited Shabbos activities derive from the manufacture and repair of the original parochet.
The parochet used in the Temple was made from wool and linen, and was exempt from the laws of Shatnez, which apply only to clothing worn on the body, not to furnishings in a building.