SHE GIVES AS GOOD AS SHE GETS.

Byline: DENNIS McCARTHY

As a little girl growing up in Lithuania, Sophia Brodetsky heard all the whispered stories about life in the United States.

How people there lived in freedom, not fear. How little girls -- even little Jewish girls -- could dream big.

It was a far cry from her life, where dreams were squashed, and growing up Jewish marked you for life.

``My family finally fled the country in 1974 because of religious persecution, and we moved to Israel before coming to the United States in 1978,'' Sophia said Thursday as she prepared for this year's ``Benefit For Our Bravest,'' an annual street festival that she's been hosting since 9-11.

The young girl came to America and worked her way up from a file clerk at a moving and storage company to owner of the Valley Inn Restaurant. And she learned a few lessons along the way, she says.

Nothing comes free, and you better support the people supporting you.

``America has been very good to immigrants, and we have to give something back. Too many people take this country for granted.''

Sophia had been giving back to dozens of local charities since she and her husband, Boris, bought the Sherman Oaks restaurant almost nine years ago.

But watching the twin towers in New York dissolve into a huge dust cloud on 9-11, claiming the lives of thousands of innocent people, she realized she hadn't even scratched the surface of giving back to her adopted country.

``Like a lot of people, I was in shock and emotionally drained for weeks after that. I started talking to my customers, telling them I was thinking of doing something special for the police and firemen.

``Everyone wanted to help, and within a few weeks we had our first street festival, raising $25,000 for the New York City firefighters relief fund.''

The next year, her street festival again raised more than $25,000, which she donated to support firefighters in Los Angeles.

``Sophia would visit all the fire stations with her supporters wanting to know what we needed, whether it was equipment or items for the firehouse,'' said Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. John Lawrence.

``I was working Station 74 in Sunland-Tujunga when she knocked on our door one morning. Sophia noticed we didn't have a dishwasher in the station. She went out and got one for us.

``And it's not just for the benefit of firefighters, but police officers and military personnel, as well. She's just a super lady.''

Legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden, one of Sophia's regular customers, agrees.

``She personifies the saying, `You make a living by what you get, you make a life by what you give.' Sophia's a giver.''

This year's benefit will be held 1-7 p.m. Saturday in front of the Valley Inn, 4557 Sherman Oaks Ave., with hundreds of local firefighters as guests.

Between 4 and 5 p.m., Wooden will be named an honorary fire chief, and will also autograph copies of his books.

There will be firetruck rides and games for the kids, music, and food for sale prepared by local firefighters.

A portion of the proceeds raised will also go to Operation Gratitude, which sends holiday care packages to troops serving overseas, or recovering in military hospitals.

It's a wonderful community event to support the people supporting us.

dennis.mccarthy(at)dailynews.com

[phone]

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Photo:

Valley Inn Restaurant owner Sophia Brodetsky, middle, with friend Jerry Klein and her general manager, Patty Saxon, will host a street festival, ``Benefit For Our Bravest,''outside of the restaurant in Sherman Oaks on Saturday.

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer