Who Reads The haftarah
The haftarah is traditionally read by the maftir, or the last person to be called up to the Torah scroll.
Rabbi Yosef Karo reports that for many years there were no set haftarot: the maftir chose an appropriate passage from the Nevi'im. Over time, certain choices became established in certain communities; in contemporary Jewish observance one may not choose his or her own haftarah, explains Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, as that would run against accepted custom. Rabbi Karo's explanation, however, helps to explain why communities have varying customs regarding what to read as haftarah. In most congregations, when a child becomes a Bar or Bat Mitzvah, they will read the haftarah.
Read more about this topic: Haftarah
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