L.A. Gala Brings In $20 Million for Friends of IDF

Simon Cowell, celebrity judge of the “X Factor” and formerly “American Idol,” and Grammy Award-winning musician Lionel Richie were among those who attended The Friends of the Israel Defense Forces Western Region gala Wednesday, which raised $20 million.

Cowell contributed $150,000, and Richie performed for a crowd that included the CEOs of several prominent technology companies, the organization said. Individual multimillion-dollar donations included $4.5 million from the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews led by founder Rabbi Yechiel Eckstein.

The organization aims to provide well-being and educational programs for soldiers in the Israeli Defense Forces, including the Lone Soldier program, which supports Israeli soldiers who are immigrants or otherwise separated from their families.