Aomar is a historian and anthropologist specializing in the study of religious and ethnic minorities in North Africa and the Middle East. He holds the Maurice Amado Chair in Sephardic Studies at UCLA, where he teaches in the Departments of Anthropology, History, and Near Eastern Languages and Cultures. Aomar’s scholarship focuses on Jewish-Muslim relations, Holocaust history, and collective memory, with particular attention to the Jews of Morocco. He is recognized for works such as "Memories of Absence: How Muslims Remember Jews in Morocco" and "Wartime North Africa: A Documentary History, 1934-1950." Born in southern Morocco, Aomar’s personal journey from a rural oasis to academia informs his commitment to diversity and educational outreach. He has also worked to promote the study of Amazigh, Sephardic, and Moroccan Jewish heritage through interdisciplinary initiatives and programs. Aomar’s research and leadership have opened new conversations on coexistence, migration, and the experiences of minority communities in modern societies.
