We study $p$-indivisibility of the central values $L(1,E_d)$ of quadratic twists $E_d$ of a semi-stable elliptic curve $E$ of conductor $N$. A consideration of the conjecture of Birch and Swinnerton-Dyer shows that the set of quadratic discriminants $d$ splits naturally into several families $\mathcal{F}_S$, indexed by subsets $S$ of the primes dividing $N$. Let $\delta_S= \gcd_{d\in \mathcal{F}_S} L(1,E_d)^{\operatorname{alg}}$, where $L(1,E_d)^{\operatorname{alg}}$ denotes the algebraic part of the central $L$-value, $L(1,E_d)$. Our main theorem relates the $p$-adic valuations of $\delta_S$ as $S$ varies. As a consequence we present an application to a refined version of a question of Kolyvagin. Finally we explain an intriguing (albeit speculative) relation between Waldspurger packets on $\widetilde{\operatorname{SL}_2}$ and congruences of modular forms of integral and half-integral weight. In this context, we formulate a conjecture on congruences of half-integral weight forms and explain its relevance to the problem of $p$-indivisibility of $L$-values of quadratic twists.