Uri D. Herscher (born March 14, 1941) is an American rabbi and academic, who founded and served as president and CEO of the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles.

[3] After that, while working in an administrative position at the College-Institute, he pursued a doctorate in American Jewish history under the guidance of Stanley F. Chyet, a protégé of Jacob Rader Marcus.

The center would house the College-Institute's Skirball Museum, with a significant collection of artifacts and venues for public lectures, performing arts, and educational activities for children and families.

Over the next decade, with help from key supporters such as Skirball, Los Angeles Times Chairman Franklin Murphy, and the Levi Strauss family of San Francisco, Herscher raised the money from both Jewish and non-Jewish benefactors.

[2] In addition, Herscher's articles and reviews have appeared in more than thirty academic journals devoted to ethnic studies, sociology, and Jewish history and religion.