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Personally: Toy Soldier

Personally: Toy Soldier

CBC

As a child, Alex Kurzem faced a choice: be killed or join the killers.

In the midst of the Second World War, he was separated from his family and taken in by a group of soldiers as one of their own. He was made a member of Hitler’s army – a toy soldier with his own rifle and miniature SS uniform.

But what the soldiers didn’t know and what no one would know for decades: he was a Jewish boy masquerading as a Nazi to save his life.

Alex lives with this false identity for so long, he no longer remembers who he was before – forgetting his parents’ faces, his birthday, his own name. But before he dies, Alex is determined to find the identity and family stolen from him during the Holocaust.

This is the story Alex would tell the world decades later, but doubts quickly took hold and wouldn’t let go. Could a story so unbelievable be true? Or is this a con to profit from the Holocaust? Eighty years on, is it possible to uncover who Alex really is?

Host Dan Goldberg unravels the true story.

Get lost in someone else’s life. From a mysterious childhood spent on the run, to a courageous escape from domestic violence, each season of Personally invites you to explore the human experience in all its complexity, one story — or season — at a time.

Hear episodes early and ad-free on CBC Stories Premium on Apple Podcasts.

Season 1 | Run, Hide, Repeat: a story of a childhood spent on the run.

Season 2 | Welcome to Paradise: a courageous escape from domestic violence.

Season 3 | Short Sighted: an attempt to explain what vision loss feels like by exploring how it sounds.

Season 4 | Sorry About The Kid: an emotional, deeply personal meditation on the loss of a sibling.

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Top 10 Personally: Toy Soldier Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Personally: Toy Soldier episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Personally: Toy Soldier for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Personally: Toy Soldier episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

Personally: Toy Soldier - Run, Hide, Repeat | EP 4: Saving Mom
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12/05/22 • 41 min

Pauline is struggling with doubts — the details of her family’s secret seem outrageous. But why would Stan and her mother lie to her? Pauline sets up a sting to find out once and for all if Stan and Ruth are telling the truth. And what she discovers changes her relationship with Ruth forever. Pauline, desperate to reconcile what Ruth has done to her, turns to understanding her mom’s troubled past. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/run-hide-repeat-transcripts-listen-1.6682766

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4 Listeners

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Personally: Toy Soldier - Run, Hide, Repeat | EP 3: The Weird World
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11/28/22 • 54 min

Based on her mother and Stan’s stunning revelations, Pauline and her brother Ted start sifting through their childhood memories and matching them to the once unexplained events. Stan and Ruth, now openly a couple, are going deep undercover — and they want Pauline to join them. Pauline must choose between joining her mother in the unknown and leaving behind everyone else she loves in the world she knows. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/run-hide-repeat-transcripts-listen-1.6682766

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4 Listeners

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Personally: Toy Soldier - Run, Hide, Repeat | EP 5: Stan's World
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12/12/22 • 52 min

Pauline sets out to understand Stan’s mind and motives. She meets up with his son, John, who has some very strange stories of his own. And Pauline finally comes across a potential answer – something that could explain all of Stan's actions. But will it be enough to forgive him? For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/run-hide-repeat-transcripts-listen-1.6682766

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3 Listeners

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Personally: Toy Soldier - Run, Hide, Repeat | EP 2: On The Run
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11/21/22 • 36 min

Now a teenager living in Saint John, the secrecy and unexplained moves wear Pauline down. Eventually she graduates and starts a career in journalism thinking she can start to live a normal life. That changes in February 1988 when her mother Ruth says she’s finally ready to tell Pauline everything. Sitting alongside Stan, Ruth’s secret shocks Pauline. Pauline realizes her life is in danger — and she will never look at her past the same way. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/run-hide-repeat-transcripts-listen-1.6682766

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Personally: Toy Soldier - Run, Hide, Repeat | EP 1: Don't Tell
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11/14/22 • 32 min

It’s 1971 and Ruth Dakin is going through a messy divorce and fears for the future of her young children, Pauline and Ted. She meets Stan Sears, a United Church Minister, a man who offered comfort and safe harbour. But the encounter would change her life – and the lives of her children – forever. Soon, odd, unexplained things start to happen and the young family is suddenly on the run, uprooted from their cozy home in North Vancouver to Winnipeg and then eventually to New Brunswick. The children are told not to tell anyone, and there are no goodbyes — not even to their father. Also on the move? Stan and his wife Sybil. For transcripts of this series, please visit: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/podcastnews/run-hide-repeat-transcripts-listen-1.6682766

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2 Listeners

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Personally: Toy Soldier - Introducing Run, Hide, Repeat

Introducing Run, Hide, Repeat

Personally: Toy Soldier

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10/27/22 • 2 min

Best-selling author and journalist Pauline Dakin takes you on an immersive journey into a childhood spent on the run, one where unexplained moves and disturbing events took place under a shroud of secrecy. When Pauline was finally told what her family was running from, she was left with more questions than answers.

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Personally: Toy Soldier - Run, Hide, Repeat Introduces: Love, Janessa
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01/23/23 • 36 min

Behind every catfish, there’s the bait. Who is Janessa Brazil? Stolen images of an adult entertainment star are being used to con victims out of thousands of dollars, breaking hearts in the process. Journalist Hannah Ajala embarks on a quest to find Janessa, in this 8-part true crime series. And who is responsible for catfishing scams? Produced for the BBC World Service and CBC Podcasts by Antica Productions and Telltale Industries. More episodes are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/gNrTPiG8

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Personally: Toy Soldier - Sorry About The Kid | Ep 3: Ghost

Sorry About The Kid | Ep 3: Ghost

Personally: Toy Soldier

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01/29/25 • 29 min

“Were you waiting for me to just say goodbye?” Alex and his grief counsellor, Yvonne, dive into one memory of Paul that Alex never forgot and try to trigger others. Plus, Alex’s parents discover that some of their own memories are not what they seem.

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Personally: Toy Soldier - Episode 1: The Hidden Suitcase

Episode 1: The Hidden Suitcase

Personally: Toy Soldier

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02/17/25 • 32 min

Uldis Kurzemnieks believed he would take his lie to the grave – his life had depended on it. For decades, he told the same story of how he survived the Second World War as a boy, but his niece always believed there was more to the story. Now, she’s learning the whole truth – piece by shocking piece.

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If laughter really was the best medicine, Gavin Crawford would have cured his mother of Alzheimer’s disease. As a son, his mother’s dementia has been devastating. As a comedian though...it’s been sort of funny. Honestly, how do you respond when your mom confuses you with her teenage crush and wants you to take her to the high-school dance? Well, you laugh. Because it’s the only thing you can do. In this seven-part series, Gavin tells the story of losing his mother — his best friend and the inspiration for a lot of his comedy — to a disease that can be as hilarious as it is heartbreaking. He’s joined by comedian friends who share their experience caring for family members with dementia. The result is a cross between an improv act and a support group. Part memoir, part stand-up, part meditation on grief and loss, Let’s Not Be Kidding is a dose of the very best medicine for anyone dealing with hard times. More episodes are available at: https://link.chtbl.com/MDr3iDT2
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FAQ

How many episodes does Personally: Toy Soldier have?

Personally: Toy Soldier currently has 36 episodes available.

What topics does Personally: Toy Soldier cover?

The podcast is about Society & Culture, Documentary and Podcasts.

What is the most popular episode on Personally: Toy Soldier?

The episode title 'Run, Hide, Repeat | EP 4: Saving Mom' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Personally: Toy Soldier?

The average episode length on Personally: Toy Soldier is 28 minutes.

How often are episodes of Personally: Toy Soldier released?

Episodes of Personally: Toy Soldier are typically released every 7 days.

When was the first episode of Personally: Toy Soldier?

The first episode of Personally: Toy Soldier was released on Oct 27, 2022.

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