Jewish Actor Josh Peck Teaches Ryan Seacrest Yiddish Word ‘Shvitz’

Shiryn Ghermezian

Josh Peck during his guest appearance on “Live with Kelly and Ryan.” Photo: Screenshot.

Josh Peck gave talk show host Ryan Seacrest a brief lesson in Yiddish during the Jewish actor’s virtual guest appearance on “Live with Kelly and Ryan” on Monday.

Peck, who stars in the Disney+ show “Turner & Hooch,” was asked by Jewish actress Katie Lowes, the morning show’s guest co-host, what he misses the most about his life before the coronavirus pandemic. Peck replied, “I’m a bit of a ‘shvitz’ guy. I like a good sweat, and you just can’t do that post-COVID. Not right now.”

Lowes then proceeded to explain to a confused Seacrest and the audience that “shvitz” means sweat. She asked Peck to clarify, “So you miss going into a sauna or a steam room or something like that?” and Peck responded that he misses going to a sauna for a “detox.”

Trying to understand, Seacrest repeated the Yiddish word and asked if “shvitz” is a “self-induced sweat” and “What if I go to a hammam? Is that similar?” Lowes then explained to Seacrest the difference between “shvitzing” and “having a shvitz.”