A new children’s book, written by a Tenafly high school student, talks about the war in Ukraine from a child’s perspective, by telling the true story of a much-loved cat named Messi.
The fluffy pet goes missing after her family flees their home in Kyiv. Messi belongs to Iryna Chernyak, who was 11 years old when Russia launched its assault on Ukraine. Like many families that fled for their lives, the Chernyaks left a pet behind.
Iryna’s mother, Alexandra Chernyak, originally believed they’d be gone only a couple of weeks. But as the war dragged on, and the family ended up in Poland, Alexandra worried, “What about Messi? How will she stay alone, at home?”
Family and friends tried to rescue the terrified cat, but Messi escaped her carrier in the city of Lviv. A devastated Iryna urged her mother to post internet photos in a desperate search from their hotel room in Warsaw.
Meanwhile, Tenafly teen Trevor Ostfelt was en route to the Polish border with a group from his synagogue, Temple Emanuel, to deliver 9,000 pounds of humanitarian aid for Ukrainian refugees. As Iryna told his group about how she needed to find Messi, Trevor was deeply touched. His own family has deep roots in Ukraine, and his family fled pogroms there.
Miraculously, the internet search succeeded in finding Messi who, yes, was named for the soccer star. Iryna’s stepdad carried the little cat to Warsaw — and into Iryna’s arms.
Trevor said, “I started to realize that the story could be, number one, inspiring — by showing how many people came together in a time of war to help a girl get her cat back.” In “Finding Messi: The Miracle Cat From Kyiv” he took care to present a story that helps children understand what it means to be displaced by war.
“Finding Messi” is a story of community and Iryna’s determination. All the proceeds from the book sales go to helping refugees of the war in Ukraine.
