Trevor Ostfeld, a high school
student in New York City and a resident of New Jersey, co-authored a
children's book, Finding Messi: The Miracle Cat From
Kyiv, with Iryna Chernyak after
volunteering for a humanitarian mission in March 2022 when the war in
Ukraine began. This picture book written by two teenagers and is
published by GreenLeaf and already an Amazon bestseller.
Finding Messi: The Miracle Cat From Kyiv tells the
true story of 13-year old Iryna and her cat, Messi. When Ukraine was
attacked, Iryna and her mother had to abruptly leave everything behind
in Kyiv, including their beloved pet. Messi goes missing, and Iryna
rallies the community to help her find her cat. The book gently
explains the impact of war on families, and young readers will better
understand the experiences of children displaced by war.
Trevor, now 17 years old, chose to skip his family Spring Break in
Florida in March of 2022 and instead traveled with his father and other
volunteers from their synagogue to Poland and Ukraine. The group from
Temple Emanu-El carried over 9,000 pounds of humanitarian supplies to
help women and children who were fleeing from war and distributed them
at the Poland-Ukraine border. Together they brought over 4,000 diapers
and other personal essentials to aid the impacted families.
Trevor Ostfeld shared, “Part of what I realized in Poland and
Ukraine is that kids are just kids, even when they are escaping their
homes. I will never forget seeing everyone crossing the border out of
Ukraine.”
After coming back home from his humanitarian mission in Poland and
Ukraine, Trevor couldn't stop thinking about Iryna's story about Messi
the cat. Her dramatic story inspired him to write a children's book.
Trevor wanted to help kids better understand what it's like to grow up
in a war crisis and to teach them how to empathize with those who are
experiencing it.
All proceeds from this book will be donated to charities that support
victims of the Ukraine War. This will help to make a positive impact
and provide aid to those in need.
Finding Messi, The Miracle Cat From Kyiv is available where
books are sold on April 16, for more information visit:
wwwfindingmessi.com.
About Trevor Ostfeld:
Trevor Ostfeld is a 17-year old high school junior in New York City. In
March of 2022, Trevor and his dad traveled to Ukraine and Poland on a
humanitarian mission set up by Temple Emanu-El in Closter, N.J. Trevor
co -authored a children’s book, Finding Messi, The Miracle
Cat From Kyiv. Trevor is an avid reader and enjoys
spending time outdoors with his dog and running an alternative assets
club at his high school.
Trevor lives in Northern New Jersey with his parents, two sisters and
his dog, Rocket.
About Iryna Chernyak:
Iryna Chernyak is a 13-year old seventh class student in Warsaw,
Poland. Iryna co-authored Finding Messi, The Miracle Cat
From Kyiv based on a true story about her cat. Iryna
enjoys contemporary dance and playing the guitar. Iryna lives in Warsaw
with her mom, stepdad, baby sister, and her cat, Messi.
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