“Creating Circles of Friendship”

Some people view retirement as the finish line, a time to sit back and relax. But for Ester Horowitz, retirement was just the start of a new chapter—one filled with purpose, connection, and community.

Born in Brooklyn and raised on Long Island, Ester built a remarkable 35-year career in healthcare administration and business development for medical services. Married with two grown daughters, she stepped away from her professional role but quickly discovered she wasn’t ready to slow down. By choice, she now works with CarJoy (www.carjoyusa.com, 1-516-318-8655), helping clients lease or buy cars—because, as she says, she “enjoys doing things that make people smile.”

But Ester’s greatest impact has come not from her career, but from her courage to build friendships in a time when she needed them most. Four years ago, as many of her friends moved away or sadly passed on, Ester felt the sting of loneliness. Instead of letting that feeling linger, she asked herself two powerful questions: “If not me, who? If not now, when?”

With that, she started The Friendship Circle—first through the Nextdoor app, and later, on Facebook. What began as a small group of local women seeking connection has blossomed into a thriving community of over 1,000 members. Now private and invite-only, The Friendship Circle creates opportunities for women to gather, grow, and thrive together. Members organize everything from book clubs and lunch outings to holiday parties, walks, and even spontaneous get-togethers.

For Ester, the purpose is simple yet profound: to connect people so this stage of life becomes magical, not lonely. She is humbled by the success of the group and proud of how it continues to empower women to live fully.

Her advice to others? “Be brave. Follow your joy. Connect with others inside and outside of the Friendship Circle. Try things you never did. Push past fear—you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.”

In celebrating Ester, we celebrate the reminder that our lives, no matter our age, are meant to be lived with joy, connection, and courage. Through one woman’s vision, hundreds of women on Long Island now have a place to belong—and a circle of friendship that keeps growing.

What Ester has built on Long Island is more than a social group. It is a movement—a reminder that loneliness can be transformed into friendship, that courage can blossom into community, and that one woman’s vision can ripple out to touch hundreds of lives.

In a world that often feels fast-paced and disconnected, The Friendship Circle stands as a beacon of warmth and belonging. And at the heart of it all is Ester Horowitz, a woman who took her own need for friendship and turned it into an extraordinary gift for others.

So here’s to Ester—for showing us that the later chapters of life can be just as vibrant, joyful, and impactful as the earlier ones. On Long Island, thanks to her, friendships aren’t just made—they’re celebrated, nurtured, and cherished.