ess al on iki , ▁Greece ▁and ▁Ist an bul , ▁Turkey . ▁This ▁area ▁is ▁where ▁the ▁surname ▁was ▁most ▁concentr ated ▁until ▁later ▁imm igration ▁to ▁other ▁parts ▁of ▁the ▁Ott oman ▁Empire , ▁such ▁as ▁modern ▁Tun is ia ▁and ▁Rh odes . ▁The ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁col lapsed ▁following ▁World ▁War ▁I , ▁with ▁Turkey ▁becoming ▁its ▁successor ▁state , ▁and ▁after ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁and ▁the ▁establishment ▁of ▁Israel , ▁almost ▁all ▁the ▁established ▁Se ph ard ic ▁communities ▁of ▁the ▁former ▁Ott oman ▁Empire ▁moved ▁to ▁Israel , ▁France ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁Today , ▁Ab ul af ia ▁is ▁a ▁well - known ▁Se ph ard ic ▁surname ▁in ▁Israel , ▁and ▁it ▁is ▁also ▁present ▁in ▁France , ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁Australia ▁and ▁Latin ▁America . ▁ ▁Following ▁the ▁exp ulsion ▁from ▁Spain , ▁a ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁Ab ul af ia ▁family ▁settled ▁in ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁Israel , ▁first ▁in ▁Saf ed , ▁where ▁they ▁established ▁a ▁long - last ing ▁rabb in ic ▁dynast y , ▁and ▁then ▁in ▁T iber ias , ▁where ▁the ▁syn agog ue ▁of ▁Hay y im ▁Ab ul af ia ▁, ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁syn agog ues ▁of ▁T iber ias , ▁is ▁still ▁the ▁principal ▁Se ph ard ic ▁syn agog ue , ▁and ▁the ▁ra bbi ' s ▁tomb ▁is ▁a ▁place ▁of ▁pil gr image . ▁Hay y im ▁ben ▁Jacob ▁Ab ul af ia ▁was ▁chief ▁ra bbi ▁in