Simon Cowell reportedly coughed up nearly £100,000 for the Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) at a US fundraiser in Beverly Hills last month.
Attending the lavish gala with his pregnant girlfriend Lauren Silverman, the TV mogul pledged the cash for soldiers and their bereaved families, the Daily Mirror has said.
It is also claimed that the 54-year-old is planning a trip to Israel as he embraces the Jewish faith for Lauren, who is expecting the couple’s son on February 28.
Despite previously showing very little interest in religion, Cowell’s father Eric was Jewish which is thought to be another reason behind his donation and trip.
A source told the Mirror last night: ‘Simon is getting increasingly excited about becoming a daddy. He is open to reason on the subject of religion and the faith in which his son is brought up.
‘But he is naturally inquisitive and really wants to visit Israel so that he can make a more informed decision.’
The gala is thought to have raised more than £12 million for the organisation, which included a £1.4 million donation by Haim Saban.
More than 1,000 guests were entertained by Lionel Ritchie, who is a keen supporter of the cause as well as actor Jason Alexander and singer, Macy Gray.
According to FIDF’s website, they were founded in 1981by a group of Holocaust survivors to provide ‘education and well being of the men and women who serve in the Israel Defense Forces as well as the families of fallen soldiers.’
It is thought Silverman, 36, wants to give birth on the East Coast to be closer to her mother, Carole Sandland, who will travel from her home in Florida to help out with the newborn.
Carole has been by her daughter’s side ever since the news of her pregnancy broke in July – while the New York socialite was still married to ex-husband Andrew Silverman, with whom she has an eight-year-old son.
And she has been keeping her daughter company while Cowell films in Los Angeles. The couple are already sharing a $25,000-a-month apartment in Manhattan, which will have more than enough room for their son – and Cowell is already practicing his parenting skills by looking after his new puppies, Squiddly and Diddly.
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