Leading figure in Swiss Jewish community dies

Alfred Donath, a Jewish activist who helped Holocaust victims and their heirs recover money from Swiss banks, has died. He was 78.

The Swiss Federation of Jewish Communities (SIG), which Donath led from 2000 to 2008, said he collapsed and died later in hospital Monday night. The cause of death was not given.

Donath was a key figure in mediations between the World Jewish Congress and Swiss banks and was the federation's vice president in 1998, when Swiss banks reached an out-of-court settlement to pay Holocaust victims and their heirs $1.25 billion. The deal followed a concerted campaign by the Congress and several lawsuits.

The banks had allegedly stonewalled many heirs of victims trying to recover deposits made by European Jews before they were killed in concentration camps.

"His work for the SIG over a quarter of a century and his courageous dedication to the concerns of the Jewish community and interreligious dialogue will remain unforgettable," the federation said in a statement.

Basel, Switzerland-born Donath became professor for nuclear medicine after studying in Switzerland and France.

He joined the SIG in 1974 to become one of the most prominent Jewish figures in Switzerland.

A funeral was held on Tuesday, said Herbert Winter, the federation's current leader.

Donath leaves behind a wife and five children.